


Pack Mentality

by Feathers_Apart



Category: Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Animal Behavior, Gen, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-10 07:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 81,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4383077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feathers_Apart/pseuds/Feathers_Apart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Owen Grady, ex soldier and animal trainer receives an invite for a job opening at the legendary Jurassic World. Upon his arrival he learns that this job will put his handling skills to the test and require far more blood, sweat, and tears than he ever imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One

Day One

"Your CO spoke very highly of you."

The Manila envelope sat open in front of his interviewer. His service record, evidence of his expertise, his life history, all rolled into a convenient dossier. All of it, on display for the man he was hoping to be hired by.

"Yes sir. He taught me what I needed to know, he taught me how to survive."

"And survive you did Mr. Grady." The large man on the other side of the desk turned away from him. The computer chair squealing quietly as it turned. "Normally, I would just shake your hand and welcome you aboard; but island security is not why I invited you here."

"Sir?"

The man paused, gathering his thoughts before turning to stare Owen down. "Let's discuss your other skills."

When the interview was finished, Owen stepped out into the muggy evening air. The door behind him shut with a loud clap. Stepping down the stairs he left the cramped portable building grateful to be outside, even if the humidity was downright oppressive.

As he stepped out into the construction zone, the dust had finally settled as the workers had left, revealing more of the structure he had seen when he had arrived. The half-finished structure looked more like a large concrete box at the moment, but Owen knew an enclosure when he saw one. He could only guess at what Jurassic world was hoping to add to their collection. Since their opening five years ago, the theme park and research lab had successfully added three new species of dinosaur to their exhibits, and if this enclosure was an indication, they were well on their way to adding plenty more.

With a heavy breath Owen turned from the enclosure and headed toward the SUV that awaited him nearby. He climbed in and without a word, the security officer began driving him back to his hotel room.

He had tried making small talk on the way up to the construction site, but it seemed that the InGen security force was a tight nit group. Remaining quiet even after his efforts to break the ice.

At the moment, he was somewhat relieved by this fact, he didn't feel like talking either. He was still trying to wrap his head around his interview with Vic Hoskins. The man had tracked him down through contacts in the military and invited him to apply for a position at one of the most well-known parks in the world.

He was grateful, sure; this was an opportunity of a lifetime, and even now, he felt comfortable around these security officers. A job with the Asset Control Unit would be a good position that played to his strengths and military background.

But Vic wasn't interested in any of that. The Head of Security was far more focused on Owen's experience with animals. It made sense in a way, the ACU were equipped to handle any assets securely and efficiently. But the questions seemed oddly directed.

"How long have you practiced falconry?"

"Since I was twelve sir. My father taught me, though I've grown up around birds of prey all my life. But I gave that up when I joined the military."

"How long have you been training dogs?"

"Professionally? Only about three years. I was asked to help with the military handlers during my last year of deployment. Learned a lot. Carried it over to part time work when I was stateside."

"What do you think the most important aspect of animal handling is?"

"Respect, sir."

That answer had gotten a grunt out of him, but whether it was good or bad, Owen hadn't been sure.

"Explain."

And he had. Owen had spent the next two hours explaining how he handled, trained, restrained, and worked with the animals in his life. Then just like that, the interview was done. Hoskins shook his hand and told him to head back to the hotel. He would be contacted before the week was out.

The SUV bounced as it transitioned from a dirt road to the paved park roads. Awoken from his thoughts, Owen looked out in time to see them entering through the massive steel gates that marked the edge of the current park.

Jurassic world was a sight to behold. It was an island paradise, a corporate backed theme attraction, and apparently, one of the foremost facilities in paleological and genetic research. From the ridge they were driving on, he could see the attractions scattered throughout the park. Water slides, concessions and restaurants, petting zoos, and even in the distance he could just make out the newest attraction. The Mosasaurus amphitheater that had recently made the news.

It was their second publicly displayed predator. The crocodilian dinosaur had been added to the programs only a month ago, and already it was making attendance soar. She may only be the size of a dolphin at the moment, but she was expected to get much bigger in time.

Owen's thoughts continued to drift as he watched the park and foliage pass by. The maintenance roads ran along the edges of the park and connected to the inside of the park via large labelled driveways. This road led all the way to the southernmost part of Isla Nublar where the resorts and hotels were located. If he had been a guest, sandy shores, pools, and five star hotels would have sounded appealing. But right now, the bed sounded the most appealing.

"Can I take your luggage?"

Owen nodded tiredly as he stepped out of the SUV. "Thanks for the ride, but next time, let me get a word in edge-wise. All of your stories are great, but I'd like to share some of my own sometime."

The driver offered him a flat stare as the attendant unloaded Owen's baggage. As the door shut he rolled his eyes and pulled away from the loading area.

"You will be staying in room 203."

A yawn escaped Owen's lips before he could stop it. Without a thought, he grabbed his bags from the attendant with a grunt.

"203, got it."

The attendant huffed a little but made no comment and led him to his room. "Here it is sir, and here is your room key and park badge. There is a bar and grill downstairs and the complimentary breakfast is served from 5am to 10am. If you need anything feel free to phone the front desk."

"Thanks."

With that said, Owen was left alone. "Well I guess I should go grab some dinner" he muttered, sitting down on the bed to remove his boots.

He was asleep before the second boot came off.

* * *

Early the next morning, Owen was roused from his slumber to the sound of a phone ringing. Groggily, he searched for his phone, finding it in his pocket. Cracking a bleary he stared at the phone with disdain. It wasn't his phone ringing. With one final groan, he committed to waking up and answer the hotel line across the room.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, just stop ringing already" he grumbled to himself blinking the sleep from his eyes. With a little more force than needed he slammed his hand on the hotel phone and pulled it off the hook.

"Hello?" A bright voice sang through the line.

"Yes?"

"A car is waiting for you outside the lobby. The officer said it was urgent."

"Urgent? What's going on? What time is it?" He glanced at the cell phone in his hand waking it. "Why are you calling me at, at 4:30 in the morning?"

There was a muffled conversation on the line before the desk manager replied "Vic Hoskins has requested you presence at the lab, his men are here to pick you up. He said it is urgent, and the sooner you arrive, the better."

At Hoskins name, Owen perked up. "I'll be down in a moment, thank you." He hung up without waiting for a reply. Turning on a light, he quickly ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his shirt. He considered changing, but thought better of it. If Hoskins had called him this early, it was important enough that he would probably forgive yesterday's sweat stains. Tying the laces of the boot he had taken off, he stood and walked briskly out the door, stretching and stifling a yawn at the same time.

When he reached the lobby, he was greeted by two lightly armed security officers who regarded him with a curt nod and turned to lead him towards the SUV outside. This time as he was ushered into the car, he noticed that he wasn't alone in the back seat. Next to him sat an equally tired, but sharply dressed man. He was wearing a dark grey business suit had black rimmed glasses and a short cropped haircut. Before Owen could introduce himself, the man yawned once and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Congratulations on your new employment with Jurassic World and Masrani Global Corporation. My name is James Saunders and I will be assisting you through the legal process and waivers that are associated within the parameters of this job. Before we set off, I need you to sign this form stating your legal acceptance of the understood dangers of working with animals, livestock, predatory livestock, and the inherit risk of working around or near them."

A clipboard with a single form and a pen was placed on his lap. Owen glanced over the short waiver before initialing in a few places and signing the bottom. He handed it back to James who quickly slid the document into a briefcase at his feet before looking up to the driver.

"We're ready to move out." The driver just nodded and pulled away from the hotel.

Owen shut his eyes, content to have a new job and hoping to get a few minutes rest before being introduced to whatever Hoskins had needed. His eyes had just closed when the interior light of the SUV lit up, bathing the back seat in a warm glow. James handed the clipboard and pen before pulling a large stack of papers out of his briefcase and depositing them on Owen's lap.

"Let's talk about the Masrani Global's Non-Disclosure Agreement."

He could only groan and wish he had gotten more sleep.

When the SUV finally stopped at their destination, Owen had a cramp in his hand and Mr. Saunders had a briefcase full of his signatures.

"Have a good day Mr. Grady, and enjoy yourself, you are now part of the best theme park on earth!" Mr Saunders called out before the car door shut and Owen was left in front of a large doorway.

As he stepped through the door, he was greeted by a secretary who smiled too much for the time of day it was.

"Mr. Grady. Mr. Hoskins and Dr. Wu are waiting for you in Incubation Room Three. Just go through the doors behind me, take your second left and it will be the second door on your right!"

"Thanks, I guess. Do you have any idea why they need me here?"

"No sir, but you should be excited, they don't usually bring people to the lab. Which reminds me, Mr. Hoskins asked me to give you your updated security badge. This will give you access to certain facilities throughout the park. I'm not completely sure what facilities you will be able to access but I'm sure Vic can fill you in."

Taking the card from the desk, Owen thanked her and the door behind her unlocked with a metallic clank, allowing him entrance into the most prominent genetic lab in the world. He quickly made his way to Incubator Room Three and as he stepped in, he was greeted by a large sterilized room with several pod like machines positioned throughout the room. Hoskins and a man he assumed was Dr. Wu stood at the furthest left pod looking at the contents and talking softly.

"Hello, you sent for me Mr. Hoskins?"

The larger man turned and greeted him with a smile. "Owen my boy, glad we finally woke you! Don't tell me a soldier like yourself has started sleeping in!"

"No sir, just tired from the travel yesterday."

Hoskins let out a loud guttural laugh at that "Well buck up kid, this won't be an easy job, but I think you might be cut out for it! Now come, let me introduce you to Dr. Wu, our chief geneticist, the man behind the dinos." Wrapping an arm around Owen's shoulders, he ushered to Dr. Wu who simply greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning Mr. Grady. As Mr. Hoskins said, I am the chief geneticist here at Jurassic World. It is good to finally meet you, I look forward to seeing you work."

Admittedly confused, Owen offered his hand which Dr. Wu firmly gripped and shook before turning back to the strange pod behind him.

"I can see your confusion Mr. Grady, but understand that you were not invited here to work under Mr. Hoskins and the A.C.U. I requested your presence on behalf of InGen and our continued work to the future of genetic understanding. Come, take a look at our latest creations, the reasons I hired you, and your future here."

Seated inside the pods were four large eggs. Three of them were mottled brown in color and the fourth had a light grey tint. Each egg was a little larger than his fist, smooth and shaped more ovular than a chicken egg. Owen stared at the eggs a little longer before turning back to Dr. Wu.

"What species are these?"

"Velociraptor." The doctor paused "And what we hope to be our next attraction."

"And you want me to care for them? Look, I appreciate the offer, but I know next to nothing about dinosaurs other than what this park has done with them, let alone how to care for something like this."

"Not exactly, though you will care for them, we want you to try training them."

Owen took a step back staring at the doctor. "I don't know much about Velociraptors but I know how dangerous they can be."

Hoskins cut in, "So are birds of prey and even dogs for that matter, yet you seem to handle them fine."

"But I was trained to handle those! I had a trainer, a guide. I would be going into this blind with no resources."

Dr. Wu turned to Owen a tight grin on his face. "Science often requires risks, sometimes we have to simply understand the risk and try anyway. Someone had to be first to try taming a hawk or a falcon. Think about it Owen, you could be that someone, the first to tame a raptor.

"You don't tame hawks or falcons, they are always wild, and they work out of convenience not love or 'tameness'."

"That may be true, but humanity has done a good job of taming the wolf. Owen, you are one of few people uniquely suited to train an animal like this. Even with what little we know about raptors, we know they are pack hunters, sharing behaviors with both modern day birds of prey and wolves."

Owen paused, unsure of the doctor's response. He glanced down at the four eggs. The doctor took a breath and continued softly.

"This could be our chance to learn more about raptors, the discoveries you could make might revolutionize the way we work with predator animals here at the park, hell, this could change how we work with modern predators as well.

I won't deny that this could be dangerous. Raptors are quick, smart, and dangerous predators. They are apex predators, the top of the food chain. But the potential benefit far outweigh the risks."

Owen stood quietly, letting the doctors words sink in as he stared at the incubator. If he was right, this could be a big project, something that could change the very outlook of predators and how they were handled, both publically, and in captivity. Sure, it would be a challenge, but he felt strangely positive about his chance. There were risks, and he would need to be careful, but he might be able to pull it off.

He glanced at the doctor and Mr. Hoskins. "Will I be alone on this project?" Both men smiled.

"No Mr. Grady, this is an experiment, keeping all of our eggs in one incubator would be unwise." Dr. Wu responded "We have three more clutches, in fact, the third clutch hatched two days ago. The first clutch is our control group. They will be tricky to manage but may provide you with some resources into raptor behavior. The other two will be handled by people like yourself, but with differing methods I'd imagine. Our hope is that at least one of these clutches will grow into a pack that is trainable."

Owen let out a loud sigh and gazed at the four mottled eggs. "So what now?"

"Now, we wait for them to hatch. Which, incidentally is why we called you here this morning." As if on cue, one of the eggs wobbled slightly before returning still. Noticing this Dr. Wu excused himself and stepped out of the incubation room only to return moments later with an assistant who looked to be just out of college. "Miss Pierce, please take these three to nursery number three. Oh, and adjust their chart to check on them each hour, instead of every three hours, they will likely hatch sometime today."

The assistant nodded before opening the incubator and pulling the three tan eggs out of the warm pod. She proceeded load each egg carefully into a padded bag. When all three eggs were in the bag, she closed it and walked out, snatching a chart off the far wall as she exited the room.

Owen looked down to the remaining egg, a question forming on his lips, but the doctor beat him to it again.

"That one is for you. You will work with the others once they are a little older, once they have had time to socialize. We want this one to imprint on you."

Owen took a step back. His brow furrowing in thought. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea doc." Dr. Wu raised an eyebrow, but let him speak. "Imprints with raptors, I mean the modern birds of prey, can be tricky. They can relieve a whole host of problems but raise a number of new ones depending on how imprinted they are. If you are right in saying these raptors are anything like the birds I know, then imprinting could be like walking through a minefield."

"We are aware of this; that is why we only want you to imprint one. Should the imprinting go well, she will become your beta. If not, then we won't lose the whole pack."

"My beta?"

"Yes; we are hoping for you to become the alpha of this pack, the leader."

"The one in control" Hoskins blurted from the computer seat he had taken across the room.

"Precisely. If their pack mentality is anything like the dogs or wolves today, we are hoping you might be able to assert yourself as the leader. An imprint raptor could be useful in keeping the rest of the pack in line."

Owen stared at remaining egg, the raptor meant to be his beta. "Why is the shell a different color than the others?"

Dr. Wu's face lit with pride. "She is one of my own creations, her genes are slightly different, I selected some traits to help you train her and to help her imprint on you. The color though, is for you to better pick her out among the pack."

Owen let out another long breath. He was having a hard time processing everything they had just thrown at him. Silence filled the air as Owen just stared at the small egg in front of him. Hoskins quickly grew uncomfortable at the silence and began to fidget, looking for something to do. Dr. Wu on the other hand seemed content to let the man think.

Finally, Owen turned to them both. "I'll do it."

"Fantastic, then I will leave you to your work for the time being. This one should hatch soon. Bathrooms are down the hall on the left and someone will be by in a couple hours to check on you. When the egg hatches or should you have any questions please feel free to use the intercom on the wall by the door. Now if you'll excuse us, Mr. Hoskins and I have other projects to check in on."

With a short nod from them both, they stepped out of the door and were gone leaving Owen with the room to himself and one small raptor egg.

* * *

It was afternoon when the egg finally moved in earnest. With several demure wobbles, and soft knock from inside, the egg finally cracked open. Amidst the shell fragments and covered in a slimy albumen sheen sat a hatchling velociraptor. Owen stared at the young creature, letting it slowly become aware of its own life. It took its first full breath, spewing droplets of albumen from its nostrils. A few minutes later it opened its eyes and immediately locked eyes with the only other living creature in the room.

The little creature was magnificent. Her back was light grey, and covered in short spines that were actually small feather follicles. They surprised Owen, he hadn't expected feathers, not when the rest of the park dinosaurs didn't have them. But he liked them either way, they reminded him of the birds he had worked with. It made him just a bit more comfortable with trying this whole experiment out. But the most striking thing on her small body was the bright blue stripes that ran parallel down her back. Dr. Wu was right, he would be able to identify her much easier with those markings.

Owen and the hatchling stared at each other for several minutes. Not moving, just taking each other in. The young man was lost in this animals sharp eyes. Not minutes old, and she had a piercing gaze that rivaled any predator he had ever worked with. Lost in his thoughts, he finally made a move. Reaching slowly over to the small creature, he placed a hand on her back, almost cupping the entire animal in a soft but careful pet. She did not shy away, she only watched.

"I think I'll call you Blue." It was almost a whisper, a name meant only for her. The little raptor cocked her head at the quiet sound, the new sound, the sound of the one in front of her.

Owen brought his other arm towards her and his hand stopped in front of her snout. He felt her breathe in and take his sent, a soft whistle coming from her.

Then she bit his hand.

Little shit.


	2. Painful Lessons

**Painful Lessons**

The bite hadn't been deep but it had drawn blood. Ignoring the pain and letting the adrenaline do its job, Owen forced himself to focus on carefully freeing the tiny mouth from base of his hand. Using his other hand, he secured the tiny raptor and instinctively pinched the base of Blue's skull. He put just enough pressure into his grip to make her open her jaw in discomfort.

He carefully extracted his hand from her mouth and quickly released her head ignoring the blood slowly dripping down his wrist. The small dinosaur watched him intently smacking her jaw together, tasting his blood. She was hungry. He knew it deep in the back of his mind. Her body language, her actions, even the subtle vocalizations gave it away. He let himself chuckle, she really was like the birds he had worked with; the nestlings had always been all stomach, no manners.

Turning, he hid the wound from her, there was no sense teasing her, let alone reinforcing bad behavior. As he stepped away from her, he heard he soft cry, a sort of mewling beg. He grabbed some paper towels from the far counter and held them to his hand. With the bleeding stemmed, Owen decided it was time to let someone know this little raptor had hatched. He quickly jabbed the intercom button and the device came alive with a short static burst.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

"Mr. Grady? Can I help you?" a feminine voice responded.

"Yes ma'am. This little raptor has finally hatched, can you send me some food for her, also if you could drop a medical kit by as well, that would be great."

"A medical kit? Is everything alright?"

"Yes ma'am, just got a little over eager in here and paid the price."

"Okay, I'll let Dr. Wu know that she hatched. Can I get you anything else?"

"Dinner and a movie would be nice."

The pause at the other end of the intercom lasted far too long.

"Excuse me?"

"Dinner and a movie. I won't be leaving anytime soon, so I would like something to eat and a way to pass the time when this little girl finally falls asleep."

"Oh. Of course, would you like anything in particular? I can order something from the restaurants in the park."

"Just surprise me. Thanks."

She didn't respond so Owen turned his attention back to the tiny dinosaur before him. Blue was staring at him. Her amber eyes contrasted with her grey body, almost glowing in the reflection of the heat lamp above her. She stared at him with large predatory eyes. They weren't the eyes of innocence, but they weren't hostile either. They we predatory, calculating, instinctual. He stared back. Unintimidated. Eye contact meant several different things in the animal kingdom. Oftentimes it was a threat.

But just as often, it was a challenge. Owen stared Blue down, his own eyes without judgement, simply looking on at the animal before him. This was step one. You didn't gain leadership through intimidation and control. You gained it through respect, and that needed to be earned.

They stared at each other for several minutes, occasionally blinking, but never turning away. Ultimately it was a knock at the door that made both heads turn away. Owen stepped away from the incubator and cracked the door open. Ms. Pierce stood outside. Several bags hanging heavily in her arms.

"We've prepared a private room just down the hall for you, please follow me."

Glancing once more at the little raptor he quietly stepped outside and pulled some of the bags from Ms. Pierce's arms. "Thank you, I was afraid I was going to be stuck in that incubation room all night."

That got a chuckle out of the brunette. "We can arrange that if you wish." The rest of the walk was silent, leaving Owen to his thoughts. After two turns down adjacent hallways, she stopped suddenly and opened the door on her right. As the two stepped inside, Owen glanced at his temporary residence.

"There's a small shower in the back and there is a staff kitchen just a little further down the hall if you feel like microwaving something. Nursery room 1 is also just across from your room. It's been prepared and is ready for your girl."

"She's staying with me." Owen stated flatly.

"No."

"Yes, she is, that wasn't a request."

"I would advise against it. She may be small, but she is still a dangerous predator."

"I know."

"She has already hurt you once."

Owen glanced down at his hand before setting the bags down on the small twin bed. Rummaging through them, he found the small first aid kit and moved to the sink. "That was my fault, not hers."

Ms. Pierce let out a small sigh "Why does she need to stay with you?"

"Imprinting is not an immediate process. It takes time, for the birds I worked with back home, it could take up to a week." The hot water stung on the small laceration, He let out a hiss of pain, but continued scrubbing it clean. "If Dr. Wu wants a successful imprint, it's going to take more than feeding her. She will need to be with me constantly for the next several days. I need to be her sole source of food, protection, and comfort."

"Dr. Wu will need to be informed, I will let him know, that is what you have decided. Mr. Hoskins will not like the breach of protocol."

With the wound clean, he quickly wrapped it with a strip of gauze from the first aid kit. His hand taken care of, he turned to Ms. Pierce.

"Thank you, if they have any reservations, send them my way, I will be happy to explain myself. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a hungry baby to tend to." He smiled at the assistant and grabbed the bags from her hand, setting them down beside the others on the bed.

With a happy grin he pulled a rat from the farthest bag. It had been frozen and subsequently thawed like the ones he fed the birds back home. He turned towards the door and walked out giving one last smile to Ms. Pierce.

"If you need me, you know where to find me."

When Owen re-entered the incubation room, he was not surprised to find the small raptor hadn't moved much, newborns rarely did. The birds back home could take up to two weeks before they began to venture a few steps from their nest. The nest was safe.

Setting the thawed rat onto the counter, he resumed his staring contest with the blue tinged dinosaur. He approached her quietly, it wouldn't be fair to cheat here, to distract her and make her look away. No, he had to earn this first step.

It took nearly five minutes, but she had looked away in the end.

"Good girl." He cooed softly. By looking away, she had given him the opening to attack, had he been another hungry predator at least.

The young man stood suddenly and turned back to the counter. He knew that tiny eyes had locked back onto him and were following his every move. It was time to prove to her that he wasn't a threat. He cracked a smile, and if she once again behaved like his birds, then he knew that a happy raptor would be one with a full belly.

She watched him intently the entire time he worked. He purposely ignored her as he carefully diced the rat into bite sized pieces. When he was finished, he turned around and approached the hatchling with less caution than before. He purposely avoided eye contact now, right now, she would see it as a threat to her life. She needed to see that he had no interest in harming her. Food would help make that possible.

As he held out the first bite, she backed away from his hand, never taking her eyes off him. Still, when the meat touched her snout, she instinctively snapped her jaws. Pulling back, he grabbed the next piece as she chewed the first slowly, savoring her first meal. When he raised the next piece of meat, her eyes finally broke away from him. They were following the food. This bite the blue streaked hatchling snapped at readily, practically inhaling the food.

It was several chunks of food later where she began to get a little over eager. He felt her teeth graze the tip of his finger when she snapped at the bite he was offering. Pulling back he frowned a little.

"I guess we'll be starting your training earlier than I thought." He muttered softly as he turned toward the counter to get another piece of meat. He paused with his back to her. Letting a plan form in his head.

The pause in the feeding was noticed immediately as Blue began mewling softly, urging him to bring more food.

Turning back to her, Owen held another bite of food in his hand. Her eyes immediately began to follow the food, even when he held it away from him.

"Eyes on me."

Blue ignored him, completely focused on the meal in his hand. The words were meaningless right now, just a noise to the newly hatched raptor, but he would need to show her what they meant and why they were important.

"Eyes on Me." He stated a little more forcefully. However, as he spoke, he brought the meat back to him, holding it to his chest. Blue followed the meat all the way until she was focused on him.

Owen smiled and gave a soft click with his mouth. Handing the reward to the hungry raptor.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ten minutes later, the rat was gone and Blue had slight bulge in her belly. Owen smiled again as the tiny velociraptor let out a tired yawn. It was time to get her to her new home. He carefully grabbed her which elicited an indignant cry but no real struggle. Placing her in the crook of his elbow, against his chest, Blue wasted no time getting comfortable in this new position.

Owen carried her carefully back to the room he had been assigned. He gently placed her on the bed before clearing everything else off of it and putting the bags on the ground next to the small desk. Turning, he ducked into the little bathroom before returning with one of the park's complementary towels. Rolling it tightly, he bent it into a rough circle, placing it on the nightstand next to his bed.

He glanced at Blue, she had begun watching him again, although not as intently. He gave her a small shrug of his shoulders, speaking as if she could understand.

"I'm making you a bed, you may be my guest, but I am not sleeping on the floor."

Blue just continued to watch.

When he was finally happy with the shape, Owen stepped back. His gut telling him the makeshift nest wasn't quite ready yet. Glancing back at the raptor on his bed, he had an idea. He quickly stripped his shirt off and placed over the towel donut he had created. Birds didn't rely much on scent, but dogs did, and he imagined that may follow when it came to raptors.

Blue had let out another indignant cry when he had picked her up again, but she had settled quickly into her new nest. She had watched him for a time as he tried to find a place to put the bags of supplies Ms. Pierce had dropped off. That interest had in him passed quickly when he turned on the television.

Owen took a seat on the bed, savoring the burger in his hands. The park food wasn't tremendously good, but he really hadn't eaten today. As he ate, he couldn't help but watch the little dinosaur on his nightstand. He never looked at her directly, but he watched her from the corner of his eyes as she struggled to split her attention between him and the strange box that was producing lights and sounds.

Her struggle did not last long with a belly full of food, and after only thirty minutes or so, Owen noticed her head droop and finally curl in with the rest of her body.

* * *

Three days had passed and Owen was constantly amazed by this little predator. She was growing fast. In fact, she had doubled her size. The hawks he had worked grew fast as well, usually fully grown in just a little over six weeks, but she was growing even faster. He imagined that unless her growth slowed, she would be nearly fully grown in roughly two months. He was beginning to see why the scientists had expressed their concern about her staying with him.

Still it was her growing intelligence that impressed him the most. He had wondered when she would begin exhibiting characteristics of pack predators. The first two days, she had simply been like a hatchling bird. Watching everything warily, begging for food, and sleeping most of the day. None of that was wrong, but he hadn't seen any signs of social behavior.

Day two marked some minor progress with teaching her to look on command, but they were a long way off from mastering it. Ms. Pierce had stopped by and dropped off a book from Dr. Wu. The spiral was not a published book, but rather a record of observations, and according to Ms. Pierce a collection of everything they knew about behaviors of living Velociraptors. It was not much.

Day three had marked a change. It had started when she had taken her first steps from the nest. She had been unsure of her movements at first, but like most animals, she picked it up quickly and was soon exploring the nightstand and the adjacent bed.

Within an hour she had jumped to the floor and started to explore the entire room. He got up and preemptively zipped his duffel bag closed. He was grateful that someone had dropped it off for him, and he did not intend to let this little tornado of exploration get into his only possessions on the island.

With his bag secured, he had ducked into the bathroom to take a leak. It was mid-stream when the little raptor had pushed the unlatched door open. She seemed to stare at him for a few seconds before beginning to root around the bathroom for things of interest ignoring him completely. When he finished and left the room, she followed.

Several hours later, he had returned to the bathroom to grab a washrag only to discover that she had relieved herself on the floor. While that wasn't an issue for Owen, he was well versed in cleaning animal waste, what surprised him was that she never relieved herself elsewhere after that.

He spoke to her often and felt her appreciation in the way she responded to him with whistles and soft barks. She may not have understood what he was saying but she was aware that he was communicating and gave her attention to him when he spoke. Her nervousness around him, seemed to vanish after she began moving around. Owen was no longer a threat, and she ignored him for the most part. She knew where he was at all times, but she tended to ignore him.

There were limits though. All the progress she was making seemed to revert back to a baser level when food was in the room. Owen could almost feel her hunger as the predatory instinct washed over his little blue raptor. It was as if she no longer knew who he was at these times. Now that she was moving, he could only stand over her to keep the food out of her reach.

He would ask for her attention and she might respond half the time, but even the successful commands were completed with jerky movements and the growing raptor shifting her attention only briefly to him.

When she was well fed, she reverted right back to her curious, albeit destructive self.

xxxxxxxxxx

The week was coming to a close and Owen was a nervous mixture of relief and worry. An argument had cropped up between the security chief and himself. Blue had decided that she needed to be with Owen constantly, even following him outside his room and into the staff area of the lab and nurseries. She followed him closely, but her curiosity meant the she would stop to explore every nook and cranny of every open room. Hoskins had not been amused to find a dinosaur roam freely into his office, and the scolding he had given Owen had turned into a full blown argument about the importance of a safe work environment and Owen's role as a trainer.

The argument ended well enough, but it had agitated Blue she had hissed at Hoskins. It was enough for him to demand she be moved to a nursery by the end of the week. In one sense, this was good. It would get her out of his room. Ms. Pierce was tired of bringing him new bedsheets and Blue couldn't resist tearing them up.

In another sense, he was concerned for his girl. He had grown attached to her in the past week, and she had most definitely imprinted on him. He had come to that conclusion after waking to find she had abandoned her nest, deciding the crook of his neck was a more comfortable spot to sleep. Imprints often had trouble socializing with others of their species and he was worried she wouldn't adapt well to the rest of the pack.

"Come on girl, it's time to go meet your sisters." Owen gave a sharp whistle, a blue streaked head poked out of the bathroom, eyeing him inquisitively.

Without another thought, Owen pulled a chunk of meat from the treat bag he now carried on his belt, holding it for Blue to see. Her eyes narrowed focusing on the food.

"Eyes on me."

She glanced at him briefly, her focus returning fully to the meat.

Owen shook his head "Not gonna work Blue, Eyes on Me."

She turned her head to face him directly, forcing her eyes to look at the man before her.

"Good girl!" a sharp click from the clicker followed, and Blue eyed the meat, expecting her reward. Owen tossed the meat to her. Blue rushed to it, snapping hungrily at the prize. When she looked up, there was a full rat lying in front of her, she rushed forward and tore into it.

A latch closed behind her as Owen closed the carrier door.

* * *

Owen felt uneasy. Something in the pit of his stomach was telling him to be alert. He had tried to calm himself, but had only succeeded a little. Blue had not like the carrier, but she had been more upset when she was handed over to a lab assistant. They were taking bloodwork and injecting the tracker that every dinosaur had in the park. When they finished, she was going to be released in nursery room two with the rest of her sisters.

That's where he was now. Or rather, he was standing above it. The Nursery rooms were in fact exterior enclosures designed for young animals. The room itself was twelve feet long and twelve feet wide with eight foot walls. The area above it was open to the air, and had walkways running the perimeter. From this vantage point, Owen could watch the raptors closely and gauge how they would interact.

He wasn't alone on these platforms either, looking over other enclosures, he could make out pairs of people watching different dinosaur groups, taking notes, using misting hoses, and even dropping food inside.

The sound of approaching footsteps brought Owen back from his observations. He turned to see a tall man with dark skin and one of the broadest smiles he had ever seen.

"Mr. Grady! It is good to finally meet you! I was beginning to worry you and the beta were never going to leave your room! My name is Barry Sy, I have been looking after the rest of the pack."

Mr. Sy, it's good to meet you. Please call me Owen."

"Please call me Barry."

Owen couldn't help but grin at this man's friendly demeanor and enthusiasm. "How are they doing? Have they given you any problems?"

"I am hurt! My beautiful girls would never give me problems! They have been eating well, and have been right angels." Owen chuckled at the man's overacting. "In all seriousness though, they have done well, they are raptors, yes, but they are showing good signs of socializing and pack bonding. They are wild, but they are a fine pack of raptors."

"Good, good." Owen paused, an orange light was flashing over one of the chute doors below them. The gat slid up into the wall and three blurs shot into enclosure, ducking into the nearby foliage.

"There are my girls." The small pack stepped out of the leave in unison, exploring the walls of the enclosure. "Charlie, Delta, and Echo."

"That's not right."

"They're good names! Besides, it's not like 'Beta' left me much to work with."

"No, not that; they released the wrong group first. Your girls are establishing a territory. Blue should have been released first, with no pack, that way it would be neutral ground when those three entered." The orange light flared at the arrival of another raptor from the chute. Owen was on edge now. The nervousness was gone, replaced with a tension and readiness for action. Barry stiffened as well, realizing the situation a moment later.

Blue stepped cautiously out of the chute. Her sapphire streaks shining in the noonday sun. As she stepped out into the enclosure, she was greeted by the other three raptors with growls and warning calls. To Blue's credit, she seemed to keep them from moving any closer. She growled in return. Backing slowly towards the far wall.

"Barry, go downstairs and unlock the maintenance door. Be ready to intervene." The man nodded once and took off down the catwalks towards the stairs.

The heavy footsteps from above drew Blue's attention away from the pack momentarily. It was all they needed to make their move. They were on top of her in an instant.

"Shit." Owen cursed, looking down at the fight below. He rushed around the catwalk looking for an open space away from the scuffle. Finding what he hoped was a clear enough spot, he cursed himself this time and vaulted the catwalk raining.

He landed with a heavy thud his legs cushioning most of the fall but the remaining momentum flinging him forward onto his stomach. He forced himself back onto his feet and surveyed the new situation. Charlie, Delta, and Echo had stopped attacking Blue and were staring at this new intruder. Blue was laying on her side, lacerations and bite marks dotted her form, but it looked like she had protected her belly and neck fairly well.

The other three raptors had abandoned her to face this new, larger threat, and Owen felt their predator eyes on him. They were beginning to spread around him, looking for a vulnerable spot. Rather than let them find it, he moved first and charged towards the first dinosaur.

Engaging it was the furthest thing from his mind though. As the young raptor met his charge, he veered to his side coming down into a baseball slide that brought him right next to his beta. He instinctively grabbed her, tucking the small raptor against his chest and rolling onto his knees. With his back now to the wall, he looked up to see three sets of predatory eyes fixed on him. He stared back with as much intensity as he could muster.

It was a bluff, but this was step one, just as it had been with Blue. He focused on the largest one, the one that he assumed was the current leader of the pack. She was just a hair taller than the others, her green hide glistening in the sun, revealing darker green stripes that ran horizontally down her back and curled in toward her stomach.

She stare back with intensity, and an intent to kill. A short barking whistle came from her jaw as she snapped her teeth at Owen. The other two raptors began to spread out towards Owen's sides

"Whoa! Whoa!" He shouted standing up and taking a step towards the left most raptor. He pushed his free hand out towards the Raptor on his right. He kept his eyes on the center one though, refusing to break eye contact.

CRACK!

The metallic sound rang out from behind him. The Lead Raptor broke eye contact, fixing her eyes on the source of the noise.

"Get your ass in here Owen!" Barry shouted from the opening behind him, before slamming the metal pail against the concrete lined door once more.

CRACK!

That was his cue, without hesitation, Owen bolted through the narrow opening before the raptors had a chance to respond. He turned to see Barry heaving the heavy door shut and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You just saved my life." Owen breathed, the adrenaline making his hands shake.

"No, I was saving her life." Barry responded, pointing to Blue as Owen held her against his chest. "Your dumb ass just happened to with her at the time."

Owen just stared dumbly at the man before him. Barry's lips cracked into a smile. "You are crazy Owen Grady. I like it! Jumping in with my girls and surviving; you'll be the talk of the park. Come let's get your Blue taken care of."

 


	3. Learning Curves

Owen was tired. Relieved, but tired all the same. Only two of her wounds had needed stitching, the rest were cleaned and left to heal in the open air. His little raptor was currently in a small recovery cubicle, sleeping off the anesthetics. He wasn't happy about using anesthetics, the birds he'd worked with often had a bad reaction to the stuff, but the vets assured him it was safe and had refused treatment until he had agreed to anesthetize her. He had spent the next 2 hours cleaning wounds and assisting the vets in their work.

He now sat in a computer chair he had swiped from one of the vet's desks. His eyes drifted over the raptor's sleeping form, watching her breathe smoothly, her side rising and falling in a relaxed rhythm. He ran his hand through his hair, letting his mind process the afternoon's events. He knew what had happened, He was sure of it, but he was drawing a blank on what needed to be done next.

They hadn't met on neutral ground; the pack had the advantage in numbers and Blue had become distracted. He had managed to hold the pack off and rescue his girl. He had challenged the trio's leader but they hadn't finished. He hadn't dealt with this before. His experience was with individual animals. Understanding how a pack hierarchy worked was one thing, but he had never dealt with an actual pack of animals.

"A word please?"

Owen looked up to see a grim faced Vic Hoskins. He stood up to greet the man, only to be grabbed by the arm and pulled roughly into the hallway. When they were outside the recovery room. Vic shoved him roughly against the wall.

"What do you think you're doing Mr. Grady? Why on this god-forsaken island would you jump into a raptor pen?"

"I didn't have a choice."

"What do you mean you didn't have a choice?" Vic groaned, his hand gripping his brow in frustration. "You could chose not to get yourself killed at the first opportunity! I hired you a week ago dammit. What on earth did you think you were doing?"

"My job!" Owen hissed back. "You and Wu hired me to train and care for raptors. Thant's what I've been doing. Thanks to a mistake in the chutes, things got out of hand. I intervened."

"I saw the footage." Hoskins spat back. "You protected your pet, interrupting natural selection, weakness being removed from the equation."

"No. That was a mistake. She should have been released first. Instead, she was forced onto their territory."

"That may be the case, but she didn't even put up a fight. I've seen dogs fight harder than her."

"What did you expect, she's an imprint! I warned you there could be complications."

"I expected her to at least try to defend herself."

"She's never even seen another raptor before today! She was outnumbered and afraid. They may be her kin, but they are not family; Wu ensured that much when he removed her from the others. Right now I'm her only family, her pack, she likely doesn't even realize what she is."

"Great, a dinosaur that thinks she's a person. What I saw was natural selection then, even other raptors don't want to be around that kind of weakness. We outta go put her out of her misery right now and save the hassle; you have three more raptors you can work with."

"No! Vic, err Mr. Hoskins, that would be a mistake."

"A mistake? A mistake! Mr. Grady, a mistake is jumping into a pit with lethal predators, risking the future of this park and everyone in it! A Mistake is letting an unseasoned hire ruin such a valuable asset. A MISTAKE is the loss of 1.3 million dollars on this waste of genetic material in the first place when our other subjects are already making further progress than you."

Owen stepped defensively between Vic and the door, a look of determination on his face.

"No. InGen started this experiment in order to find a trainable raptor. I am telling you RIGHT now, she is laying in a cubicle behind THOSE doors. If you put her down now, you really will be wasting 1.3 million dollars."

Vic pulled back slightly, registering what Owen had said. "InGen wants a pack. She's weak, the others rejected her. InGen and Jurassic World have no use for something like her. The public wants to see vicious pack hunters, not a lone weakling with an identity problem."

"The others never rejected her. They defended their territory from an intruder. They'll accept her in the right circumstances. I can do this, if I can train her, the others will follow eventually."

"Very well Mr. Grady, I'll let Dr. Wu know you haven't completely ruined his hard work, but he will expect a report on the matter by the beginning of next week. And let me reiterate, just to be clear, one trainable runt is not a successful experiment InGen wants a pack." Giving Owen a light shove with his shoulder, Hoskins strode past him before stopping a few steps away.

"Oh and Mr. Grady, I don't care if you have a death wish, but if I hear about another incident like this, or if you compromise the security of this park and put anyone else in danger with your work, then you can be DAMN sure that I will remove you from this island, and your "pack" will be put down regardless of the experiment that you may be a part of. Do I make myself clear?"

"Abundantly, Sir." Owen responded, biting the inside of his cheek with a frown. The young man watched him leave before letting his back hit the wall, sliding softly to the ground a sigh of relief turning into a quiet laugh. That had been far too close. Everything about today had been too close for comfort and now he had promised that Blue would the key to Dr. Wu's goal. He let out another frustrated laugh and pulled his hair back. He had really dug himself deep this time. He let out another exasperated groan, forcing himself to his feet. These problems could all wait until tomorrow morning, he needed to check on Blue.

* * *

Owen slept on the floor that night, next to the cubicle that housed his raptor.

He didn't sleep well

He awoke the next morning to find Blue staring at him, her snout pressed firmly against the bars of the small cubicle. They watched each other for several minutes, Blue releasing steady, warm breaths through the bars, Owen trying to push back a growing headache a likely intruder from his restless night.

The Vets had released Blue into Owen's care an hour later. Along with her, Owen received a bag of her ointments and various medical supplies that he might need. The stitches were to be removed in four days. He shouldered the bag and with a labored grunt, he picked up the carrier. She was only the size of a large housecat, but she was heavy, a body of solid, predatory muscle. Blue was currently shifting her weight constantly, making it that much harder to carry as he walked down towards his room. He could only hope that she would settle down once she was back in his room.

She hadn't.

Owen could handle the perimeter checks she ran around his room every five minutes. He could handle the vocalizations and staring contests she approached him with every hour or so. He even responded to her with his own calm words. Soft but strong. What he couldn't tolerate was her decision to begin picking at her cuts when he had rubbed the ointments in.

She was currently standing on the other side of the room fixing him with a dangerous glare. A long narrow cone fanned out around her neck.

"Don't give me that look. Blue. You brought this on yourself."

The blue streaked raptor continued to glare, a breathy snort was her only response.

"No I told you to stop picking at it, I even pushed you away from it. You chose to keep picking." He let out his own snort. Focusing on the book in his hand, he continued to ignore the glaring amber eyes. "We'll take it off tomorrow and try again."

She slept in the farthest corner from him that night.

Owen found an unpleasant surprise in his shoes the next morning.

* * *

Two days had passed. Owen and Barry were sitting in the observation room watching Charlie, Delta, and Echo as they milled around the small paddock sniffing and searching for anything of interest. They had reserved the room to make notes on behaviors and body language. It was similar to the nursery enclosures, but these had glass enclosed, air conditioned rooms built into the sides. Supposedly for the use of prolonged scientific observation, but more often than not, they seemed to house corporate guests. They had been there taking notes for several hours already, it was Barry who broke the calm silence of the room.

"Are you sure you want to re-introduce her so soon? My girls aren't terrible, but they'll seize an opportunity if they sense weakness."

Owen glanced over that the raptor sitting in the room with them. She was staring at the other three with complete interest. Anytime one would make a sudden movement her focus would shift, watching in every action and reaction being made down below.

"We have to, the longer we wait with her the more complications we are going to face down the road. She needs to be accepted into the pack."

"My point still stands Owen, if they see weakness, then nothing is going to stop them from finishing what they started."

Owen chewed on his lip. Mulling the problem over. Below them he could see where the raptors had decided to lay, sunning themselves lazily. Their bellies had a slight bulge, the only sign left of the meal they had been fed an hour ago. Right now, they looked less like deadly predators and more like overgrown lizards bathing in the hat sun. Even the songbirds were less wary of their presence, venturing so far as to begin landing on the paddock bushes.

"We need to stack the odds." Owen finally replied. "Look at them right now, Barry."

Glancing down into the paddock, Barry's eye lit up with understanding. "I see, I'll give them an extra helping before the introductions then."

"Exactly, and I'll make sure to feed Blue after the introductions. If we can make them sluggish and tired, she may just have a shot at this."

"If she is accepted, it will still be up to her to find her own rank in the pack, you know that, right? You know this won't help you gain a position in the pack right?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Barry. I don't even want to think about that problem yet. Let's just focus on making our girls next playdate a good one."

"What? You aren't looking to challenge my Charlie again? You were so eager last time Mr. Grady. Alphas aren't supposed to back down from a challenge. Don't tell me she scared you that bad." His friend prodded with a happy smirk.

"Haha Barry, I'm also pretty sure that an alpha isn't supposed to throw themselves into a fight they can't win."

"I know, I know, but maybe you should fear her a little. My Charlie is growing into a strong alpha. You may not be able to take that from her when the time comes. And if Blue is a part of the pack, she will likely follow the alpha."

"When that day comes, I'll succeed or I won't. Just try to fish me out before I die, would ya?"Owen responded with a chuckle.

"That's what I'm here for my friend. Caring for my girls and saving your sorry ass." Both men laughed, enjoying the banter that had come so easily. "You know she's really pretty smart."

"Charlie?"

"No, Blue; look."

Owen turned to find his girl had stopped watching the raptors below. She now had her back to the men, staring at her reflection in a polished wall plate. Owen watched as the young dinosaur eyed herself suspiciously. She extended her neck and let out a warble at the image in front of her. When no response came she began eyeing the image closely. When it eyed her back, she pulled her neck back tight.

Taking a couple steps back, she spun in a tight circle, her eyes never leaving the reflection before her. She finally stopped with her back to the reflection, head craned around to look at it. Along her back just above the base of the tail was a line of stitches, one of the two cuts deep enough, and the only one she couldn't reach despite her best efforts. When she saw it now, she hesitantly tried to reach them with her mouth. After a few seconds and some quiet snaps of her jaw. She turned to her side still eyeing her reflection.

Owen's jaw dropped as she began to back up towards the wall while watching her reflection. When her tail bumped it lightly, she lowered it, to the ground, snaking it between her legs before continuing to back up against the wall. Only when her rump reached the concrete siding did she stop looking at her reflection. Instead, she pointed her snout straight up, eyes closed in contentment as she scratched her stitches along the rough wall.

Barry let out a snrk, biting back a laugh. Blue jerked her head to the sound of the noise her amber eyes quickly locking on Owen's as she scooted quickly away from the wall.

Barry lost it.

Ignoring Barry's raucous laughter, Owen sunk deeper into his chair and rubbed his face with his hands. Another headache was coming on, and he didn't know what he was going to do with a creature like Blue. He knew she was intelligent, but completing a MSR test. That was something else. Something worrisome, even a bit exciting.

* * *

It was half past noon. Everything had been set up for what Barry was affectionately calling "The Playdate". Charlie, Delta, and Echo had been fed nearly twice as much as usual, before being funneled into the transport chutes. Blue on the other hand had only been given enough to curb her voracious appetite. If things went well, she would have another meal waiting for her when this was over If it didn't well, Owen had asked the vets to be ready for them.

He currently stood on the catwalks above nursery number two. Blue had just been released from her own chute and was now curiously exploring the greenery in the enclosure. It had taken her less than five seconds to find him perched above her, and once she had spotted him, she was much more active in exploring the space around her.

The orange light on the far side of the enclosure signaled that Barry was about to release the next chute hatch. Owen took one more nervous glance at Blue. The stitches had been removed two days ago, the wounds themselves had healed nicely, but he could see the lines of new flesh that had sealed the wounds, still pink amongst the darker scaled hide around it. Owen could only hope the other raptors wouldn't care about old wounds.

The other raptors stepped out cautiously this time. Charlie was the first to leave the chute, followed quickly by Echo then Delta. They quickly fanned out, Echo and Delta taking either of Charlie's flanks. But rather than exploring the area, they remained back, hugging closer to the wall with their snouts in the air.

It was Echo that let out a hesitant warble, her neck extending as she surveyed the shrubs. Owen watched as Blue cautiously stepped out of the greenery with her head low. She didn't approach them, choosing instead to stop and release her own careful warble. Charlie began to approach carefully Nostrils flaring quickly as she took in Blue's scent.

When she was close enough to touch the blue streaked raptor, she let out a short bark, lowering her head to inspect the newer raptor. Delta and Echo responded, approaching quickly and taking up space around Blue.

The three raptors examined Blue carefully. Taking her scent in and getting uncomfortably close, they seemed to inspect her while Blue just lowered herself further until her belly touched the ground.

Charlie stopped over the base of Blue's tail and eyed the newly healed wound carefully. Pulling her neck back she issued three sharp barks. Both Delta and Echo stepped away from the submissive raptor lowering their heads in a readied position. All three raptors stared at Blue.

When she issued no response, Charlie brought her neck around to Blue's side nipping her and causing the blue raptor to flinch. Charlie issued another three barks and stared. Again none of the raptors moved and Blue did not respond.

With a huff, Charlie lowered her head and rammed it into Blue's side causing the young raptor to shift and stumble slightly. Both Echo and Delta tensed almost waiting to jump in on the still raptor. Charlie lifted her head to call once more.

It was at this time that Owen moved. All he did was shift his weight from one foot to the other. But it was calculated, and it caught Charlie's eye. Her head froze and she turned to stare at the man stood above her. The challenge between them could finally resume.

Issuing a guttural hum she remained still as Echo and Delta relaxed. They glanced at the man above them briefly, but quickly decided they were more interested in the secrets hidden in the small bushes around them.

Charlie and Owen stared each other down a low growl resonating in the base of her chest. Owen was whispering, quietly urging the raptor to sleep or sunbathe, take it easy and digest the big meal that was weighing her down.

It was a yelp and a bark that ultimately drew her attention away from the man. Startled by the noise Charlie turned to see Echo and Blue rolling in the dirt behind her. When the two separated, Echo stood and ducked into the underbrush. The green raptor watched as the streaked raptor stood and began sniffing the air, her tail swaying loosely back and forth. Echo's head poked out of the bushes and with a soft warble she called to Blue. The chase continued as both raptors dove back into the jungle leaves.

Charlie gave a snort and looked back up at Owen. With one last glare, she released a heavy breath and went in search for a good place to lay down.


	4. Don't Turn Your Back

 

"Eyes on me."

Owen was getting sick of saying it when they hardly ever responded to him. In the large paddock below him sat four lazy, good for nothing velociraptors. Blue at least raised her head to glance at him, but she just as quickly laid it back down, her eyes closing as she lay in the sun soaked dust.

It had been nearly two months since Blue had been accepted into the pack. Two busy months with so little to show for it. Two months of sheer frustration. The raptors themselves had grown tremendously in that time. Blue's back was now level with Owen's chest. Her quills, the false feathers that had adorned her back had fallen out or been rubbed off for the past month and a half.

But it wasn't just Blue; all the raptors had grown, so much so that they had been moved to a new facility. Paddock Number one. When they had received the notice informing them of the moving date, Barry had actually explained that there were in fact ten paddocks stretched across the island. These paddocks created a sort belt, or buffer zone that separated the southern, public side of the island, and the northern research zone. Supposedly, this kept tourists safer and allowed the researchers and scientists to study dinosaurs in a more natural environment. The paddocks themselves were designed for ease of care and observation of new species before their introduction into the park or into the northern research zone.

What it meant for Owen was that he now had to drive nearly twenty minutes just to reach his jobsite at the western edge of the island. Twenty more minutes for the pack to further degrade the training he was putting Blue through. He had expected some backslide in his training with her after she moved in with the pack. He had expected even more when they had moved to a larger more open enclosure. Still, he had hoped that Blue would bring some of the training into the pack with her.

Instead, it had been a fight just to keep the training she had. Because of her low rank in the pack, she was subject to nips and bites if she even made an effort to follow Owen's command. Before long she had just given herself to following the packs command. Giving the frustrated trainer little more than a glance in his direction when he called.

That is why he and Barry had decided to dedicate mornings to individual training. Every morning, they would separate Blue from the pack and Owen would begin working with her while Barry attempted to get some response out of the other girls.

Blue was always attentive during these times and each morning was a chance to reconnect the fraying loyalty between them. Still, it was pretty easy to see that the pack was having an effect on Blue's demeanor. Owen could almost sense the wild heart growing inside the young raptor.

The other raptors weren't so calm with him. On good days, Delta and Echo would ignore him, and Charlie would watch him intensely, following every visible move he made. The bad days though… Owen was glad for thick bars and high walls. Barks, warbles, and growls would echo through the surrounding forest as three of the raptors did everything they could to reach him. Their cries were so consistent and constant that even Blue had participated, even if hesitantly. It took the appearance of food being lowered into the Paddock by Barry to convince them to give up their assault.

* * *

"That can't be right. She's at least higher than Echo"

"You're looking through rose-tinted glasses Owen. It may not be often, and you may refuse to see it, but even Echo is allowed to get snappy with your girl. I'm sorry my friend, but your beta is still the pack omega."

Owen let out a defeated sigh, taking a swig of beer that had grown too warm over the course of this conversation.

The two friends were sitting in the small living area of Barry's staff apartment. The game was playing on the television, but the volume had been muted, and both men were sitting quietly, trying to review their options.

"I'm out of ideas Barry." His head leaned back, resting on the couch cushion, his eyes closed. "No matter what I do, I'm still the losing side. Your girls won't give me the time of day, and nothing I teach Blue can be used around the pack without the others putting her in her place."

"We knew this might happen."

"I know, I know! But why haven't we figured out a solution yet?"

"Maybe we have just been thinking about this the wrong way."

"Blue is supposed to be the pack Beta, but your girls aren't giving her the chance to move up the ranks. What other way is there to look at it?"

Barry didn't answer, letting the room fall quiet save for the patter of rain against the window. Owen let himself sink deeper into the couch. He forced himself to relax, trying to will away the stress and the near constant headache he now had. Reluctantly, his body began to unwind and he felt himself sinking into sleep.

"Charlie's the oldest." Barry stated quietly.

"What?"

"Charlie, she hatched first, watched the other two hatch as well."

"Okay? I gathered as much from her name. Delta was second right?"

"Right, and Echo was last."

"I know." Owen cracked an eye, looking over at his friend. "And you already know how I feel about your uncreative names. What does this have to do with the pack?"

"Maybe more than we know. Owen, I spent the last couple minutes thinking over my girls, trying to find some real differences and that's it."

"What's it?"

"No, you don't understand. That. Is. It. The time they hatched is perhaps the only significant difference between the three besides their coloration."

Owen shifted slightly, sitting up again to give his fellow trainer more of his attention. "What are you getting at Barry?"

"Okay, bear with me. I don't think Blue is making any progress because there is no pack. And before you interrupt me, let me explain."

Owen closed his mouth and motioned for the man to continue.

"Packs have hierarchies, roles that each member fills. The Alpha is traditionally the leader, the defender, the one to protect the pack from outside threats. The Beta is the second in command and the pack manager. She traditionally backs the alpha, fulfilling and even questioning his command while ensuring the pack stays in line. The rest of the pack follows, filling roles as needed and challenging the command structure when the opportunity arises.

This is instinctual, most every pack species understands the hierarchy to some extent, and the rest is learned through play and experience as they grow. I think our girls lack their roles. The only thing that made Charlie the alpha is her age. She has the instinct to protect her sisters, but she has never been tested, it's made her non-committal. She wants to eliminate perceived threats, but at the first distraction, she forgets her position.

She is also acting without a Beta. While both Delta and Echo are content to pick on Blue from time to time, neither has really stepped up as a Beta. Charlie is being forced into both roles, the defender and the manager."

Owen rubbed his eyes, letting the ideas sink in. "So what do you suggest we do?"

"I think it's time we teach them to hunt."

Owen snorted, they were back at this argument again. "Barry, you know I agree with you, they're predators, they need to hunt, even if only for their mental health. But you also know how squirmy the board got the last time we suggested that. They would never let that happen. It'd be 'inhumane'. Besides, their paddock isn't nearly big enough for them to learn what true hunting means."

"I'm not talking about the Paddock, Owen."

"What, you want to loose them on the park?"

"No! I'm talking about the research zone. It's perfect. Half of an entire island for them to hunt in, numerous herbivorous dinosaurs for them to hunt as a pack, and no other predators to worry about."

Owen shook his head. "And how pray tell would we get them home after they were done?"

"A.C.U. could cook up some nice tranquilizers for that."

"You know as well as I do that the moment we strike one of these animals, they will never trust us again."

"And you know that there is more than one way to tranquilize a dinosaur without the animal realizing it. Besides, if that doesn't work we can just send you in. With how focused Charlie is on you, she'd probably chase you all the way back to the paddock."

"I think you've had enough to drink Barry. This is insane. Besides it still doesn't answer the problem of Blue's ranking in the pack."

"Train her first."

"What?"

Teach her how to catch and kill prey yourself, before they get released. Do it right and she could prove her value to her sisters. She may be able to move herself up the ranks, at least out of the pack's omega position."

Owen shook his head with a chuckle and stood up. Turning to his friend, he pulled the bottle of beer out of his friend's hand and made his way to the kitchen. Throwing both their bottles in the trash, he grabbed his keys and wallet of the counter.

"Well you've thought it out, I'll give you that much. I'll tell you what, you remember this in the morning and I'll back you up if you want bring it to the board."

"You got a deal."

The young trainer shook his head with a smile. Turning to the apartment door. "Alright, I'll see you bright and early, don't let that hangover get the best of you, we have work to do."

Barry was already fast asleep.

* * *

He had done it.

The bastard had actually gotten the green light from Dr. Wu and the board that overlooked his research. There were contingencies of course, but even Barry knew his idea needed some tweaking if it was going to be safe for everyone involved.

The first was that each raptor would be fitted with a second tracker. This device was a larger prototype and would need to be surgically implanted into each Raptor's shoulder, but when activated, it would be strong enough to pierce the dense underbrush that covered much of the Northern half of the island.

The second was that the experiment would take place in three weeks at the height of the rainy season, consequently when very few visitors visited the park. Finally, the research zone was to be temporarily restricted. Barring any scientists or researchers from entering the overgrown lands. A.C.U. would be stationed at each Paddock throughout the island ad would remain on watch for the duration of the experiment. They would also handle the capture and transport after two weeks.

This left Owen with very little time to prepare Blue for this controlled release.

"Eyes on me."

She stared at him. The distractions of her pack separated by solid concrete.

CLICK.

His thumb depressed the clicker and he grabbed a rat out of his belt pouch, tossing it through the bars.

She caught it with a snap of her jaw, swallowing the thawed morsel whole. She took a step towards the bars separating them. Cocking her head an audible "whuff" escaping her snout.

He knew she was waiting for more. Routine dictated it.

Her attention waivered and she glanced around.

"Eyes on me."

Her head immediately snapped to him.

CLICK

Another reward slid down her throat. He had to admit, she was doing far better today than in the past several weeks. Maybe she felt his anticipation. He placed his hand on the lever next to him.

"Eyes on me."

Her amber gaze met his.

CLICK

The rest was a blur.

The pig shot out into Blue's pen, ducking between her legs before she had registered the movement. When she finally moved, Owen could tell her motions were purely instinct. He could practically feel her intent to kill as she rounded on herself in order to chase her prey.

The pig was fast, but Owen knew she would be faster. The pig had no cover in her, no place to hide, and no chance. He hadn't liked the thought of doing this, setting up a kill for Blue, but it needed to be done. She needed to be given a role to fill. The high pitched squeal signaled that the chase was over.

When Owen looked towards his girl, he had expected to see his girl standing triumphantly over her kill. But it wasn't triumph he sensed, it was confusion. Blue was stood atop the wriggling pig, staring at the animal with uncertainty. Her talons sat on the pig's skin. Holding it in place, but not cutting into its flesh. She stared at the animal beneath her eyeing it from every angle she could turn her head to.

Finally she bent down and cautiously nipped at the pig's ear, gouging grooves into it and causing the pig to squeal and writhe under her. Owen cursed under his breath. She was acting exactly like a young hawk on her first catch. She was toying with her prey, learning its sounds and movements.

With another small curse, he unlocked the barred door and stepped into the enclosure, closing the door quietly behind him. Pulling his knife from his belt, he stepped carefully towards the raptor and her catch. As he neared, the raptor locked eyes with him and she lowered her head. Her intentions were clear but her focus was divided, she was having trouble watching the trainer and her prey at the same time.

"Easy girl."

"Easy, I'm not going to take that from you."

"Easy girl."

"Let me show you what needs to be done."

He approached steadily keeping his movements fluid and open. When he arrived at the streaked raptor and her prize he knelt down in front of her and watched her movements. This was the closest he had been to her in months and as he watched his girl, he could see her trembles and twitches as she tried to process what she would do.

It was with a soft growl that she made her decision. She locked eyes with him and turned her head down towards her struggling catch. With a quiet warble, she stepped one foot off the prey. Owen knew what came next; with precision and a steady hand, he stuck his knife into the back of the pigs head. Turning his head away from the fading animal he pulled his knife out and took a smooth step back from the carcass.

Blue took the opportunity to begin digging in.

Owen watched quietly, backing steadily away from the raptor and her kill. It was an unfamiliar voice that broke the silence.

"Do you always make a point of killing your animal's food for them?"

Without looking, he responded, "No, but she has never done this before and it wasn't right to let her play with it."

"I see, so you offered it a humane death."

"Nature doesn't understand the concept of humane. What I taught her is practicality. The longer her prey is alive, the more likely it will escape her."

"I see. Is it wise to be teaching such a large predator like that how to kill efficiently?"

Blue was snapping up the last morsels with a contented demeanor. She had eaten fast today, still she had accomplished what they had set out to do. Owen glanced down at his dripping knife before wiping it on his pant leg and putting the blade away.

He turned to the unknown voice as he walked toward the exit of the enclosure. "It may not be from our standpoint, but she is a predator, it is part of her nature that cannot be removed for her own mental-"

The sound of shifting dirt and several hard thuds was the only warning he received before his eyes exploded with stars and he hit the ground limply.

Consciousness hit him like a bolt of lightning, his torso shooting up into a sitting position as he felt his heart beating a thousand miles a minute. With the movement came the pain.

Agonizing, excruciating pain. His eyes lit with stars again and his head felt like an iron spike had just driven itself into his temple.

He was worried, afraid, nervous, ashamed, angry; his head felt like it was on fire. Without a thought, Owen pulled himself out of the bed he was in and shakily made his way through the darkened room to what her assumed was the bathroom. His hands shakily ran across the doorframe, searching blindly for the light switch.

CLICK

The small bathroom was bathed in a soft glow of light. Even through blurry eyes, he recognized the bathroom as belonging to the paddock outbuilding. It was a sort of break room. He shuffled blearily to the mirror, struggling through the migraine induced pain. Despite the pain he felt in his skull, he did not see anything out of the ordinary. He could feel a bandage on his back, under his shirt, it crinkled softly when he moved, but it didn't feel big.

The headache itself had died down leaving an aching pain and a mild buzz in the back of his skull. With a grunt and a long groan he exited the bathroom, hoping to simply make it back to the couch.

xxxxxxxxxx

Two days later, he was back behind the door waiting for Blue to be funneled away from the pack by Barry. No one would talk to him about what had happened. Barry had even asked him what had happened. He had his suspicions, the four pinholes in his back left him with a pretty clear idea of what had happened, but Owen couldn't figure out why no one was speaking out about what had happened.

When Blue entered the separated enclosure she caught sight of him immediately. She approached him almost timidly, her head low and her eyes locked on his knees rather than his face. Owen let out a sigh. She responded with a soft warble, still avoiding looking directly at him.

"Eyes on me."

She was hesitant to respond at first but her head perked up a bit and she finally looked him in the eye.

CLICK

"There's my girl." He tossed the first rat to her. She nearly didn't catch it and took a little longer to swallow it.

"Eyes on me."

She was quicker this time, her whole body perking up as she snatched the treat from the air.

He would find out what was going on eventually, but for now, if everyone else was going to ignore what had happened, then he would put it behind him as well.

Blue looked at him quizzically now, a modest snort escaping her snout.

He knew she was waiting for more. Routine dictated it.

Only when her attention waivered did he ask again.

"Eyes on me."

CLICK

Once more a pig burst into the enclosure. She was ready this time, nearly catching it as it rushed out the chute. It was her prey and she needed to eat. It squealed once before going still. She was a hunter and the longer her prey lived, the less likely she would eat.

 


	5. First Impressions

 

The following week and a half had been a blur. Preparations were being made, construction was being done, and contingencies were being reviewed. It astounded Owen at how fast the preparations were being made. It had taken nearly a hundred men and two days of hard work, but a portable wall had been erected leading from the paddock gate to the nearest gate into the research zone. And all of this work had been done despite the near constant rain and the mud. This had all come together so well in fact, that the trainer didn't want to think about who might be backing him from higher in the company.

Blue had made significant progress during their morning training. They had only released two more pigs with her. Each time she had caught the prey with precision and grace, ending the creature's life with smooth precision. The blue streaked raptor had even stepped off her final catch and stared at him with a quizzical look, her head tilted slightly. She had continued watching him through the barred doors issuing soft warbles until her had finally shaken his head and waved her off.

She had shifted her weight from side to side before giving him a soft snort and digging into the warm carcass. A grim smile crept onto his face. He could practically feel the predator's enjoyment of the fresh meat. Her pleasure visible in her body language and the way her eyes half lidded as she ate. These "bagged" hunts bothered him, but they were crucial in Blue's training, and her pride over another successful catch bled into him. He was proud. Proud of her speed and her effort. He could only hope that it would be enough to begin re organizing the pack.

The pack had seen no improvement in the past two weeks, and Blue still tended to ignore him when she was with her sisters. This was a fact the Vic Hoskins like to repeatedly bring up at every available opportunity. He had become a common sight at the paddock, appear almost daily to watch Owen and Barry work. He would claim that he was directing his men and learning the area better, for security purposes.

Owen figured it was simply so he could look smug in front of the two trainers. He mentioned the other raptor packs frequently, never any details on their training, only that the other handlers were progressing far more smoothly with their pack than he and his. Owen wouldn't rise to the bait.

Hoskins was at least professional when they met each evening. He had his reservations about the plan, reservations that he voiced frequently, but he was working with the trainers to plan for every possible outcome. They worked late every night in the paddock outbuilding, discussing everything from evacuation procedures to recovery methods. Vic was an asshole most of the time, but he took his job seriously.

Soon enough, the day had arrived. Owen woke, a nervous pit gnawing at the base of his stomach. He forced himself up off the couch and threw on some cleaner clothes before exiting the outbuilding where he had slept for almost the past week.

He stepped out into a muggy, overcast morning. His boots stuck to the mud, squelching wetly with each step across the muddy expanse. When he finally reached the top of the paddock stairs, leaned against the inner railing, taking a spot next to Barry and glancing into the pen at his girls.

Charlie looked comfortable where she was laying, inches deep in the muddy ground. She ignored everything around her, choosing instead to drape her neck across her own back and eye the pink line of healing flesh that sat between her shoulder blades.

The new tracking devices had been implanted just under a week ago. It would provide the park with a stronger GPS signal, and backup telemetry signals to better keep track of the young pack. Charlie however, had been fixated on the small scar that the incision had left on her back. The cut itself had been far enough up the back that the raptor couldn't reach it with her snout, but that hadn't stopped her from eyeing it every few minutes.

Blue on the other hand was acting almost as nervous as he felt. She had taken to running perimeter checks throughout the paddock. When Owen had arrived at the top of the paddock, she had stopped to look at him and offered a soft warble in his direction.

"Morning Blue." She accepted his response and resumed her patrols. He frowned at that. She must be nervous if she risked acknowledging him in front of the pack.

"They're nervous too you know." Barry spoke up from his spot next to Owen.

"How can you tell?"

"Just like you do with Blue. Their body language, the movements and vocalizations. They're just more subtle about it, unlike Blue, they don't wear their emotions on their sleeve. Look at Echo and Delta. They are staying closer to the brush, even backing into it from time to time. The way they smell the air and how they hold their bodies. They're on edge, unsure of what is happening but trying to be ready for it all the same.

Even Charlie is nervous. Her muscles are so stiff, I can see them from here. They all know something is going to happen today."

Owen grunted, chastising himself for not paying enough attention to the other raptors. He would need to talk with Barry more about their body language.

They watched in silence for a few more minutes before a large hand tightly gripped the shoulder of each man.

"Well? Are you boys ready to let your chickens out of their coop?" Hoskins asked with a playful chuckle. When neither men responded, he gave them hurt look. "What? Aww, you two don't need to be worried, your girls will be just fine out there, there's not a thing out there that can hurt them, you know that… Unless you're not worried about their safety."

He gripped their shoulders tightly, leaning in and speaking in a low voice. "Don't you worry your little heads, should something go wrong, my boys and I will make sure you and everyone else on this island is safe. No matter what."

Owen felt himself shiver a little, but before he could respond, the large man pushed away and turned toward the large chute. Pulling out his radio, he clicked it on with a short burst of static. "Remember, all personnel is to remain out of the research zone until the raptors are contained two weeks from now. No gets past these fences without risking their lives in a very real way. Okay boys, let's get this show on the road; open the gate on my mark." He turned back to Owen, making sure to get eye contact. "Mark."

* * *

If Vic Hoskins had been expecting excitement when the doors had opened, he was sorely disappointed. In fact, it had now been nearly four hours since the gates had been opened. All four raptors were still in the paddock.

When the gate had opened, everyone had expected them to bolt out towards freedom. Instead, the raptors had approached the opening with caution, sniffing the walls and the floor just beyond their own territory. Rather than venture out, they had retreated back into the paddock deciding that the places beyond their home weren't as appealing as the territory they had grown up in.

Vic had stomped away in frustration after about thirty minutes grumbling about work that needed to be done elsewhere. Owen and Barry were given a handheld device meant to track the raptors. The rugged device had a small screen with a topographical image of the island. On the far west side of the digital map, a single blip blinked every few seconds marking the raptor's combined position. Before two hours had passed, they were once again alone with their girls.

It was sometime later when the first real signs of movement had occurred in the paddock. It was well passed feeding time and all four raptors were getting restless, moving along the paddock walls, but never ducking through the large opening into the chute leading towards freedom.

It was blue who had ultimately taken the first step out, Delta and Echo on either side of the large door. Charlie was comfortable managing from the rear. Echo offered a questioning chirrup after Blue was several steps into the chute. Blue paused, looking around and sniffing the air with short, quick breaths. Finally, looking back at her sister, she offered a soft warble before moving further down the chute.

It took thirty minutes for them to reach the edge of the chute some 200 yards away. The whole pack stopped at the edge, stretching their necks out into the open air beyond the cement hallway. With more short breaths and mewling purrls, they tested the air around them, searching for any threat before finally taking their first tentative steps into the open grasslands beyond the large gates that marked the research zone.

Once they realized there was no immediate threat, they began to explore. Spreading out, they made their way through the grassland stopping to sniff the trees and the rocks that dotted the area.

They never strayed far from the chute entrance, always within eyesight of their safe shelter, always within earshot of each other. It took them another twenty minutes to become comfortable with their surroundings. When they had finally explored everything near them, Echo decided that they had worried long enough.

Playfully nipping Blue's tail, the tan raptor jumped back lowering herself toward the streaked raptor. Blue eyed her, watching Echo as she waited for her sister to respond to her challenge, stock still with the exception of the sway in her tail.

With a quick lunge Blue shot towards Echo, both raptors tumbling into the tall grass emitting playful growls and whines. Owen watched his girl charge out of the grass, echo hot on her tail as the two began a long game of tag that would eventually include all four raptors chasing each other though the grasses just north of the makeshift chute.

All four raptors returned to the paddock that night, breathing hard and their heads drooping in playful exhaustion. The two trainers had figured they might return that evening and had lowered several shanks of cow down to the paddock floor, though the trainers themselves made it a point to be gone by the time the raptors retuned. It would be enough food to curb their hunger a bit, but it was not enough for all four animals.

The young pack returned to their paddock for two days after the initial release. Each day, the raptors explored further into the research zone splitting into multiple tacking dots briefly, but always returning to each other, their trackers merging into one larger dot for Owen to watch. With each day they returned, Owen and Barry lowered a little less food into the paddock, allowing themselves to be seen by the raptors, but only briefly before retreating back to the cover of the outbuilding.

It was after day three that the young pack of Velociraptors spent their first night outside the safety of the paddock walls. It was the same night that Owen began to visibly worry over the pack. He kept the tracker on him at all times, ensuring that it stayed charged and everything on the small screen looked fine.

Occasionally, the small device would let out a chirp indicating that it had lost signal. Barry could only sigh to himself when Owen would drop whatever he was doing and check the device. Each time signal returned minutes later, the dot jumping several pixels in some direction before returning to its normal repetitive ping.

The raptors were undoubtedly exploring the deep jungle floor that snaked its way through the island. They began to hunt. Occasionally, the dot would separate into two or even four dots before they converged again a little while later. Occasionally Barry would take the small tracking device and hide it from Owen, promising only to return it when their daily chores were completed, though he understood the worry that quietly gnawed at the other trainer.

* * *

Red hot streaks of fire flashed through his mind.

Pain.

The copper taste of blood clung to his face.

Fear

Cold and gripping, it promised only uncertainty and loss.

A torrent of emotions bombarded him, threatening to drown him where he stood over the abyss.

Darkness consuming everything as quickly as it had assaulted him.

Owen bolted upright. His chest and face were drenched in a cold sweat as the soldier turned trainer gasped heavily, gulping hungrily at the stale air that surrounded him in the Outbuilding.

Forcing himself to calm and slow his breathing, he hitched a few times as his arms trembled and gripped the arms of the sofa.

The rain outside was torrential, battering the tin roof and turning the silence into a chorus of natural static that served only to keep the trainer more on edge.

Shakily he stood, getting over whatever had just haunted his sleep. He reached the table, his hand searching for and finding the tracker seated snugly in its charger.

Waking the device up he stared that the bright screen, waiting for his eyes to focus and adjust to the light coming from the device.

It was two thirty in the morning on day nine of the tame release. When he had finally retire for the night a few hours ago, the pack had settled almost a kilometer to the northeast, deep in the heart of the original Jurassic Park. With five more days in the experiment, Owen had only just begun to let himself relax and focus more on the work around him.

What the device was telling him now however, was troubling. A dot was still visible where the pack had settled for the night, but now there was another dot moving further east into unexplored territory. Owen Fumbled with the device before adjusting the zoom on the tiny screen. As he zoomed into the dot moving east, as he zoomed in, the dot split into three more.

One of the Raptors had been left behind.

xxxxxxxxxx

"You're crazy."

The sun was just beginning to rise casting a dull grey light as it was blocked by the heavy rain clouds. Owen was zipping a backpack, the highest caliber rifle he could find on his rested on his shoulder. The .308 rifle had been borrowed from the paddock security room.

"Yeah, that may be true Barry, but I'm not the one whose gonna have to deal with Hoskins." Barry's face paled.

"On second thought, I'll go on your suicide mission, you can stay."

"Look, just convince him that I got called off the island for family problems or something. If everything goes well, then I should be back by tomorrow around mid-morning."

"And when it goes horribly wrong?"

"Just keep Hoskins off my case as long as you can. I just want to confirm that everything is alright, then I'll head back."

"Owen, they already regrouped once. Are you sure you're not overreacting?"

"I know, but they left almost immediately and one of them stayed behind again. There's a fear in the pit of my stomach that won't be sated until I find out what's going on. It could be serious, or it could be nothing. Who knows, maybe we'll discover some new behavior we didn't know before."

"Just be careful Owen. The person they hire to replace you might be better at poker than you, and I rely on that extra money."

Owen rolled his eyes, picking his radio up and testing it with a crackle. "Radio check." His voice came out loud and clear from the radio on Barry's belt.

Clipping it to his belt, he shouldered the heavy bag and donned a wide brimmed hat. Taking one last look around the room to see if he missed anything, he paused, glancing at Barry once more. "I'll keep my radio on if you need me, but otherwise just keep Hoskins off my trail, I should be in and out before anyone realizes I'm gone."

At his friend's hesitant nod, he opened the door and stepped into the early morning rainstorm.

* * *

Owen move quickly through the paddock chute, letting the rain cover his tracks. It wasn't going to be too hard to get into the now restricted research zone, but he really didn't want to run into one of Hoskins guards this early on in his endeavor.

Four A.C.U. guards had been placed on each gate into the research zone. At any other time, this might be a problem, but the torrential rain that had bombarded the island for the last twenty-four hours was making visibility terrible for everyone. All Owen would need to do is follow the chute to the open gate and duck into the tall grass on either side of the now washed out dirt trail.

When he reached the mouth of the chute, he paused and scanned the area for danger. The irony was not lost on him that his and Barry's girls had done this just a few days prior. Confident that his path was clear, he waited for the rain to pick up heavily. It didn't take long and he was able to duck into grass under the cover of the maelstrom.

He stayed low all the way to the tree line, crouching at times, crawling at others, anything to stay under the cover of the tall grass and pouring rain. When he finally arrived at the safety of the trees he and his gear were already muddy and soaking wet. He stood finally and surveyed the forest ahead of him biting his lip in concentration.

The tropical forest was dense, the underbrush thick and the canopy making the area darker than it already was. His chosen path went through the middle of this jungle and if the topographical map on the tracker was right, he would be traversing the side of a very steep ridge. He pulled the rugged device out of his jacket, grateful that it was waterproof and he checked his position. It wasn't tracking him so he could only make an educated guess as to where he actually was, but with a compass and some careful orienteering, he could get to where he needed to go. Biting back the chill of his wet clothes, he decided that he would need to keep moving if he wanted to stay on schedule.

The first signs of dinosaurs became evident about twenty minutes through his jungle slog. He had come across a large flattened trail that he had followed for a ways before hearing movement ahead. Ducking into the underbrush, Owen watched as three hulking Ankylosaurs trudged down the makeshift highway. When they had passed, he continued moving, branching from the trail as soon as he could, not wanting to run into anything else.

Soon his path steepened as he blazed his way through the underbrush. He was traversing along the side of a large ridge. The steepness slowed him down even further as he was forced to tread carefully along the slick forest floor or risk slipping and injuring himself.

He was behind schedule. The rain had make a tricky hike almost impossible. The ping on his tracker had shown that the pack was only a kilometer from the gate, but the weather and the terrain had made his path a winding hell that was filled with dead ends and cutbacks. He had probably walked nearly five kilometers at this point, and it had taken him almost all day to do it.

He had nearly cried when he crossed a road. The weathered tarmac snaked its way along the ridge line, slowly making its way from the valley to the top. He sat on the pavement, ignoring the still constant rain, just grateful to have level ground and a place to rest for a moment. Checking the tracker again he looked for the markings that indicated a road on the map. The tired trainer let out a relieved sigh when he saw that the road actually curved towards his destination at the base of the next cut in the ridge.

Reinvigorated by the news, he stood back up, determined to follow the road down to the lone blip on his tracker. It was nearly nightfall when he stumbled across a small herd of Gallimimus at the edge of the valley. Ignoring the birdlike dinosaurs, he let them run into the nearby underbrush. Rounding the bend he caught his first view of his destination and his heart sank.

A mudslide had stripped the side of the ridge bare, leaving an ugly gash in the otherwise green hillside. At the base of the ridge, the earth had piled into a messy soup of mud, trees, and debris. Owens blood pumped as he rushed his way to the base of the disaster. Snatching the tracker out of his pocket, he stared at the device before glancing back at terrain before him. She was nearby, the tracker pinging diligently.

He began to look carefully look for a blue head. His girl was somewhere nearby and she likely needed help.

He was going to find her.

Then he saw it.

More of a silhouette against the brown clay and debris, her legs sunk deeply into the mire. The rest of her body prone.

Charlie looked back at him with amber eyes, a nervous warble escaping her throat.

 


	6. Finding Common Ground

 

"Easy girl. Easy."

He spoke in soft easy tones as he approached the half buried raptor. She had picked her large head off the ground and was now watching Owen's every move with a sharp eye. If he moved too quickly, a soft growl would escape her mouth, warning him to stay back. He ignored her growls, although he did slow his approach each time. He would need to get around her back and inspect the damage.

He let out a nervous breath while trying to keep his tone and demeanor even and calm. When he was about three feet from her, she made her first attempt to snap at him. The crack of her jaw snapping shut startled him despite his best effort. She struggled violently in the mud, but it just lung to her, keeping her hind legs stuck and useless.

Charlie struggled for nearly a full minute. She struggled to get free. She struggled to reach the trainer with her large jaw, her slender arms, anything. She struggled just to feel movement again. When she had finished, her head hit the soft earth with a wet thud. Her breathing was labored now, but she had expended her energy and all she could do was watch, her eyes dilated, her nostrils flaring in heavy snorts as Owen resumed his cautious approach.

He circled to her side and approached her dirty back. Even in the dim evening light the handler could tell that she was in rough shape. Scrapes and small lacerations littered her rough hide, several gashes pulling back to reveal deeper cuts and bloody flesh. His hand lightly caressed her hide and he could feel her trembling, her heart beating quickly as muscles under her skin twitched, spasming irregularly.

He threw himself back the moment he whole body tensed. Her head whipped around in another attempt to bite. When the sudden assault missed its mark, she began to struggle once more her slender body writhing and spasming fruitlessly. When she was finished, her head hit the ground softly once more, this time craned around so she could watch him with one amber eye.

The moment she settled, Owen approached her again speaking in a hushed calming voice.

"Easy girl."

"Easy."

"I'm here to help, but I'm going to need to touch you to get you out."

"Easy."

They we just noise to the raptor, he knew, but they helped keep him calm and focused, and he hoped that they calmed her.

He finally reached her back haunch. Resting his hand softly on her scaled hide he dropped carefully to his knees. Her shallow breaths increased when he touched her, but the raptor stayed still, watching him with a wary eye.

Carefully Owen sunk his hands into the dark mud near her left haunch, scooping out a large mass of muck and debris. Using his hands as a shovel, he began to scoop, pull and push the loose, claylike mud away from the trapped dinosaur. He continued to talk to her in calming tones, reassuring her that everything would be okay, she would be back in the paddock with her pack soon enough.

Every few minutes or so, Charlie would struggle violently against the mud that ensnared her and Owen would have to push himself away from her in order to stay away from her thrashing neck and jaws. The progress was painfully slow, and Owen soon had to dig through his backpack in order to locate his headlamp in the dying light.

He worked well into the darkness, shivering but determined to continue. He had cleared about a foot of muck from around her backside, freeing the green raptors muscular tail. This had proved to be a hazard during her timely struggles and he found himself knocked flat several times. Gratefully though, the raptor's frantic struggles had stopped being directed toward him.

The rain itself finally slowed to a stop, the heavy clouds breaking to reveal the stars above the island and Owen continued to dig out the raptor. She had grown quiet and still, her head no longer watching the young man as he worked. Her left leg was now technically free, it had been tucked up against her body, but her right leg had been fully extended it seemed.

With the rainstorm cleared, the island quickly returned to its muggy habitat. He continued to work, talking to himself now mostly, muttering tiredly and wiping sweat from his face or slapping insects away as he worked.

Finally, around one in the morning, according to his watch, Owen unearthed the dinosaurs scaly foot. With only enough energy for a satisfied grunt, he pulled himself tiredly out the hole and staggered away from her as the blood returned to his legs. He glanced over the sleeping raptor's form. Her breathing had steadied and her body only shuddered every few minutes. Tiredly, he stumbled his way over to a nearby tree that had been uprooted by the slide. He sat himself down against the trunk and leaned his head back against a branch.

Clinging to his rifle, he decided that he would rest here and watch until the raptor stirred and freed herself.

xxxxxxxxxx

It was the sun pouring onto his face through shimmering leaves that awoke him. He was stiff and groggy groaning tiredly and berating himself for whatever he had done to cause this much discomfort in the morning. Covering his face with his hands, he tried to resist his climb toward consciousness but his eyes snapped open when a hot breath blew across his outstretched legs.

Charlie lay next to him, curled in a tight ball, her eyes closed in sleep. She was breathing smoothly, but now that he could see her in the light, she was a sight to behold. Nearly full grown, the raptor herself was an intimidating sight to see next to him, but what drew his eyes were the myriads of cuts, scrapes, and bruising that was showing all over her body. Two or three deep lacerations cut into her sides, the two halves of these wounds standing visibly apart from each other and still oozing blood.

Other scrapes and bruising were present opening her hide up further in some places and turning it sickly yellow and purple in others. One nasty looking bruise was forming on the top of her head, accompanied by a sizable knot pushing against her skin. The rest of her body was caked in hardening mud, likely hiding more wounds and making it harder to move than usual.

Owen himself was caked in the hardening mud as well, the stuff sticking to his skin and staining his clothes all shades of brown and green. He stared at the sleeping raptor for several minutes, waiting to see if she would wake up. When she did not, he carefully stood, pulling his rifle up to his shoulder and stepping carefully around her.

He didn't turn his back to her until he was nearly thirty feet away. Finally her turned and made his way into the field of tall grass that marked the beginning of the large valley. Crossing the road and stepping into the tall grass, he began to use the wet vegetation to clean himself off. When he emerged, his clothes were soaking wet once again, but he was visibly cleaner and felt far more refreshed.

He made his way carefully back to the downed tree. When he was about halfway there, he released a sharp whistle and raised his rifle. Charlie's eyes locked onto him and her head raised off the ground so she could watch him approach. She called softly to him with whines and soft warbles but when he got close enough to touch her, a deep growl emanated from her throat.

Heeding the warning, he stepped around her carefully and pulled his bag away from the fallen tree. Reaching into the still soggy pack, he retrieved an energy bar and fished for his canteen. As the young man drank, he could see the green raptor staring at him, her focus on the canteen. With a quiet sigh, he sated himself and carefully held the metal container to the dinosaur.

Gingerly the raptor snaked her neck around and grabbed the open canteen in her mouth. Owen could hear the aluminum bending against her grip. She held it in her mouth and stared at him, unmoving and unsure what to do. She slowly chewed on the canteen while staring at him with her fierce amber eyes. With a more solid bite, she crushed the aluminum container, forcing the water into her maw.

Her head reared back in surprise and with a whip of her neck the green raptor tossed the mangled container away, staring at it dangerously.

Still it was water, and even as she watched the destroyed canteen, she smacked her mouth wetly.

Owen let out a soft chuckle at her antics.

She whipped her head around eyeing him dangerously now.

"Whoa girl, I wasn't laughing at you." His hands shot out in a calm reassuring position.

She let out a snort. Shaking her head and whining at some discomfort it caused.

Acceptably cleaned and less thirsty than before Owen bit into his energy bar, enjoying the flavor, but not savoring it too much. When he had finished, he tucked the packaging back into his pack and shouldered the damp bag. Standing smoothly he grabbed his rifle, intending to explore the valley and find another water source. He had no idea how he would get Charlie to follow him to it, but that was a problem he could work out if he found water.

With a light pat on her haunch, Owen carefully skirted the laying raptor, keeping an eye on her the whole time.

"I need to find us some more water, I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Backing away from her, he wondered if she would even be there when he returned, or if she would rejoin the pack. Looking down, he chewed on the inside of cheek. The thought of being alone with raptors hidden in the undergrowth around him was worrying, but not as much as it would have been several months ago. No, he already had raptors hidden in the surrounding jungle. Raptors that had for some reason abandoned their alpha. That was more worrying.

He was a little surprised when he looked back at where Charlie lay to find that she had stood and was now attempting to follow him.

She limped painfully toward him, her left leg dragging uselessly behind her in the drying mud. Hissing through the pain she walked slowly toward where the man was now stopped on the small road. Her breathes came through in rough snorts and her head hung low as she concentrated more on moving than where she was going.

A minute or so later she walked slowly past him, giving the trainer a sharp glare and a hard bark as she moved by. She took several steps into the tall grass before stopping and lowering herself gingerly into the wet vegetation. When she had settled, she craned her neck and watched Owen passively as he stood in the road.

Owen's hand reached or his radio clicking it on with a burst of static.

"Barry, you there?"

Static answered him for a few seconds before Barry's voice came through loud and clear.

"Owen? Things going alright out there? Are you almost back?"

"Not quite buddy, I got delayed. Found our missing girl though."

"Great, did you figure out why Blue was separated from the pack?"

"That's just it, Charlie was the one separated."

"Oh shit, are you alright? Don't tell me you went toe to toe with her and you're just now calling."

"Not quite, she's hurt pretty badly. She got herself caught in some kind of mudslide, cuts and bruises everywhere. I think she may have done something to her leg."

"Shit. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I'm not sure, she seems to be willing to follow me, but I'm definitely not getting back by lunchtime. Jut be ready, I may need you to help me get her out of here."

"You know, I can't keep Hoskins out of the loop if it comes to that."

"I know, and we may actually need A.C.U. for this, but give me another day. If I can get her moving, I may be able to bring her in myself."

"Will do Owen."

"Thanks Barry, I'll update you if anything changes."

The radio went silent with a soft click and Owen returned it to his belt. Charlie was still staring at him, sitting still but flicking her tail in an almost irritated motion.

"Okay girl, it's going to be you and me for a while, but we need to find you some more water and start heading back to the paddock so we can get that leg checked out."

Owen stepped carefully around the raptor pushing his back into the tall grass as he backed his way towards the center of the valley. Charlie didn't move. He took a few more steps before he froze when she let out an irritated bark.

Without taking her sharp eyes off Owen, she turned her head and grabbed a clump of wet grass with her mouth before arching her neck back and flicking the grass across her back. The collected water splashed across her lacerated hide.

Spitting the grass out in front of her she continued to stare at the man. When Owen didn't move she gave him a sharp bark ending in a softer whine.

Cautiously, Owen set his bags down, and approached the raptor, unsure if he actually knew what she wanted. When she didn't respond to him kneeling beside her, he pulled a handful of the wet grass into his hands and tentatively began to rub it against the raptors hide, watching for any signs of aggression.

When none came, he began to work a little more earnestly, using the vegetation to brush away the drying dirt and grime. Soon the green raptor rested her head in the grass, letting her eyes slip closed. She occasionally let out soft mews or warbles to let Owen know that he was doing a good job.

When the grasses would brush against a cut or a particularly sore spot, she would let out a harsh hiss and jerk her neck around to watch him closely until he moved to another area. Each time she would turn away with a snort, a grumble emanating from deep in her belly.

Finally Owen stood back up and looked at his handiwork. He could actually see some of the green coloring on the raptors hide now and even though he hadn't been able to do much, her injuries were a little cleaner. As he stood, Charlie turned her head around to inspect as well. With a satisfied snort, the green raptor carefully stood up, favoring one leg heavily. With an uncomfortable grunt and hiss, she took a few steps forward before stopping to wait for Owen. The young man grabbed his pack, shouldered his rifle and carefully began to follow the raptor that had hated him so fervently in the paddock.

They had been moving for about twenty five minutes. The sun was now high in the sky, pushing an oppressive heat down on the party of two as the stumbled slowly through the grassland. Owen wiped his forehead again, pulling beads of sweat from his face. The pair were making more progress than Owen had thought. The raptor knew the general direction they needed to head and was picking the easiest route to follow. Because of her injury though, they had only made it so far and Owen could still see the mudslide on the other side of the valley.

He heard them before he saw them. Several sharp barks pierced the valley, echoing through the ridge lines. The raptor in front of him perked significantly, her head shooting towards the sky as she released a loud warbling response. They had stopped moving, Charlie kept her head perked to the sky, tilting it slightly, listening for her sisters. Delta and Echo appeared beside the pair almost simultaneously. Echo brushed past Owen, rushing to greet her sibling. Delta however had locked he eyes on him. Releasing a strained bark, she called to Echo, causing the other raptor to turn and notice Owen for the first time. Delta released a low growling rumble and began to stalk towards Owen who had drawn his rifle defensively.

Another bark and Echo was moving towards the trainer as well. Owen stood his ground, his rifle jumping between targets nervously. Both raptors looked beaten and bruised, their breathing heavy from exertion and their pupils narrowed to pinpricks as the focused dangerously on the human.

A louder, more aggressive bark cut though the tension and the two raptors turned to Charlie, tilting their heads inquisitively. A rumbling purrl followed by two softer barks caused the two sisters to approach their sibling and nuzzle the raptor. They circled her. Sniffing her cuts, releasing soft mewls.

Charlie quickly grew impatient with their examinations. Giving some irritated barks and nips she pushed through the two raptors, stumbling on her weakened leg in the process.

The change in her sisters' demeanor was immediate. Both raptors lowered their heads focusing intently on their injured sister. Charlie's nervous gaze met their predatory eyes as they carefully moved around her.

"Hey now, easy girls." The words slipped though Owen's mouth before he could stop himself. Two sets of predatory eyes jerked back to him, narrowing dangerously.

Another sharp bark cleared Charlie's throat, but her sisters were no longer listening. Delta and Echo took slow deliberate steps toward the trainer.

Owen took a step forward, meeting their challenge and praying that it wouldn't end with his death.

The two parties stood facing each other for nearly a minute. The Raptors studying Owen and Owen, the raptors. Before either party could make a move however, Blue stepped between the standoff, glaring at her sisters and stopping directly in front of Owen.

Dropping a small carcass from her mouth, the blue streaked raptor issued a series of barks, lowering her head and widening her stance.

Delta and Echo stared at the raptor blankly deciding what they would do next.

Both took a hesitant step back.

 


	7. Fluid Dynamics

 

Owen remained frozen behind Blue, not wanting to make the same mistake twice. He kept his rifle raised, keeping the barrel aimed at the two raptors that Blue was currently challenging.

When they hesitantly stepped back, Owen felt himself let a release a breath of relief.

Blue however, lowered herself further and took several steps toward Echo and Delta, her eyes fixated on her two sisters. When she had closed the gap between them, a rumbling growl began to echo through her throat. With her head lowered and her stance spread, Blue looked fiercer than he had ever seen any of the Velociraptors.

The surrounding area had grown quiet, except for the sounds of each raptor's breathing until Blue broke the silence with a series of low toned barks that dragged back into the constant rumble that still emanated from her throat.

Delta and Echo had taken a lower stance themselves at their sisters continued aggression. Standing together, they matched the blue streaked raptor's growl with their own. The standoff lasted for another full minute before Echo turned away with a snort, lowering her body and turning from the blue raptor.

Delta however, continued to mirror Blue's movements, but refusing to answer her challenge. Another minute passed and Blue issued her challenge again. Again Delta refused to back down and the two continued to stare each other down.

It was a cry from Owen's right that finally answered Blue's challenge. Charlie stepped up to the aggressive raptor with a heavy snort. Eyeing the streaked raptor carefully, she positioned herself toward Blue, lowering her head and keeping her injured leg behind her.

Her challenge accepted, Blue turned to face Charlie, allowing Delta to back down and join her sister farther away from the group. Owen took this as his cue to step back from the predators as well. He was sweating again but this was a colder sweat, not from the noonday heat, but from a feeling in his gut about what was going to happen.

Blue moved first.

It was a quick rush as she powered her snout into Charlie's chest. The Green Raptor reared back, instinctively pulling her head up and away from danger and forcing Blue's head to follow.

Their chests impacted with a thundering crack. Both raptors pushed at the other, trying to get the upper hand. Their momentum gone, they separated, Blue backing away and beginning to slowly circle the larger green raptor.

Charlie began to match her circle, pivoting carefully as Blue moved, trying to keep her injured leg out of the picture and hissing a challenge at the younger raptor.

Blue made another lunge, this time tucking her head in low and pushing into the other raptor's chest with her shoulders. The attack forced the green raptor back onto her bad leg and she let out a painful yelp before rolling back onto the ground.

The blue-grey raptor didn't push her advantage though, choosing instead to tilt her head at her sisters strained cry.

Her delay proved to be a mistake as Charlie rolled quickly and kicked her good leg underneath Blue, leaving shallow gashes in her breast.

Blue let out her own shriek of pain, jumping back from Charlie her eyes narrowing as the green raptor rolled and carefully stood favoring her injured leg even more.

Owen watched the aggressive display before him, his rifle dropping to his side as he watched both raptors begin to take turns lunging at each other, hoping to find weaknesses in the others defense. When Blue was pushed to the ground in front of him, he carefully took a few more steps back, hoping that things would work themselves out. He circled the two dinosaurs as they snapped and bit at each other, keeping the squabbling pair between himself and the other two raptors.

The match continued to drag on, each raptor rarely drawing blood, but fiercely trying to assert dominance. The tall grass around them had been minced into a muddy clearing and when the two dinosaurs connected once more in the center, both slipped and landed on the soggy ground.

Both raptors remained still on the ground, breathing heavily next to each other. Exhausted, but refusing to give in, both Blue and Charlie stood once more, but Charlie's leg twitched and spasmed lightly before giving out and spilling the green raptor back into the dirt.

Blue was on her in an instant, using her weight to pin the tired girl on the ground. Charlie struggled and pushed, desperately trying to worm her way out from under Blue's weight. With a heavy grunt and another fierce growl, Blue stood and pushed the injured raptor onto her side. Placing a foot on the larger raptors belly, she leaned her head down until it was positioned over Charlie's throat.

Charlie gave another weak attempt to snake her way to freedom, earning a dangerous hiss from the blue streaked raptor above her. With a defeated snort, the green raptor let her head drop to the dirt breathing heavily, her body trembling randomly from the exertion.

Blue pulled her snout down and touched the laying raptor with her nose. She let out a loud hiss, her nostrils flaring as her teeth grazed her sister's neck causing the lager raptor to struggle once more before laying still on the ground.

Snapping her head up from her defeated quarry, she fixed a glare at Delta and Echo, another hiss escaping her mouth and a confident bark daring them to challenge her. Both raptors immediately dropped lower, their stomachs touching the ground and their heads turned away from the victorious raptor.

Blue snorted once and spun her head around to face Owen fixing him with the same glare she had given her sisters. The trainer stiffened, his face paling a bit when she hissed at him, challenging him to best her. He raised his hands holding the rifle by the strap his foot instinctively stepping back.

It was enough for the raptor to let out another snort and finally step off her packmate. Feeling the pressure lift from her belly, Charlie rolled onto her stomach but didn't rise. She watched her packmates warily offering more submissive purrls to her other two sisters who eyed her inquisitively.

Blue however, ignored the other raptors, turning and trotting to the small carcass she had dropped when had arrived. It was the limp remains of a rabbit or some other larger rodent, the hide was far too mangled for Owen to be sure. Grabbing it gently in her mouth she returned to her prone sister. With a soft warble, she dropped the meat gently in front of Charlie's snout. The green raptor stared at it briefly, taking the scent of the meat in with heavy breaths.

Blue stared at the other raptor, tilting her head and giving a soft whine when Charlie didn't immediately eat. The green raptor glanced up at Blue once more before turning her head sideways and grabbing the carcass with the side of her mouth. With short, jerky effort, she pulled the meat off the ground and into her mouth, swallowing the small carcass whole.

Satisfied, Blue turned from her pack stepping away from Charlie as Echo and delta approached to sniff the injured raptor. As blue turned, she made eye contact with the silent trainer and brushed past him as she stepped into the taller brush. Owen still stood, staring blankly at the other three raptors, processing what had just happened.

A mild bark, wakened him from his thoughts and he turned to the raptor who had passed him. Blue was a few meters further into the grass giving him an expectant look with her fierce amber eyes. When he made eye contact, she let out a warble before turning and ducking into the tall grass.

Gripping his rifle loosely, Owen glanced back at the other raptors cautiously. When he was confident that they weren't paying him any mind, he ducked into the grass after his girl.

* * *

The trip itself was a perimeter check with Blue leading him to the nearest edges of the valley. He followed the predator quietly as she moved easily through the terrain. She stopped frequently to smell unfamiliar scents, mark territory or wait for her slower companion.

Owen watched her as they moved. He was on edge, finally feeling out of his comfort zone, out of his depth. Everything up until now had been manageable, he'd trained animals before, been bitten, scratched, attacked. He'd hiked through jungles, trained in deserts, but now he was dealing with something he had never imagined. The raptors were one thing, he had studied and watched them enough to learn how to act and how to train him, how to lead them.

But here and now, he knew that something had shifted. Out here, he was at their mercy, under her newly found leadership.

He watched his girl as she stopped to sniff a downed log before ripping into it with her taloned forearms. When the log was opened sufficiently, she shoved her snout into it and began rooting for whatever might be inside. When she decided there was nothing left, she pulled her head out shaking her head with a snort.

She only glanced at the human briefly to make sure that he was still there before she darted away, back on her mission to secure the area.

The entire circuit took about an hour to traverse and when they arrived back at their little clearing, the sun had begun its descent toward the horizon. As he walked back into camp, Owen took a more critical look at the four raptors before him. It had been bugging him since watching Blue tear apart that log on the way over. Blue was now settling next to Charlie, issuing soft purling whines and nuzzling the green raptor, their feud behind them.

All four raptors were cut and bruised in places. The dried blood was more difficult to see on Echo's rust colored skin, but it stuck out against the greens, greys, and blues of the other raptors. Each animal had scrapes and bruising across their back and sides. None of them looked deep, but a few of them still oozed blood between scabbed cracks.

It was possible, likely even that all four raptors had been caught in the mudslide. But the cuts and scrapes weren't what concerned Owen, it was their behavior and attitude. Each animal trembled and shook occasionally. They were exhausted, nearly dead on their feet. It surprised Owen that Blue and Charlie even had the energy to fight the way they did.

He had a feeling they hadn't eaten in days. Whatever the small morsel Blue had fed to Charlie was, he worried that it might be the only thing they had managed to catch.

Three of the raptors were asleep, curled tightly against each other as they slept in the afternoon sun. Blue watched over them, laying on her side nearby, keeping pressure off the new scratches she had received from her bout with Charlie. Still, even her head drooped every now and then has her exhaustion seemed to catch up with her.

Making up his mind, picked up his things and moved out of their camp. He caught Blue's eye as he began to leave, but she did nothing to stop him, only offering a soft warble as he stepped by her toward the road he had crossed earlier.

The walk back to the road took him far less time than it had taken him and Charlie to travel. A pang of worry rushed through him as he realized just how slow they had been moving that morning.

When he reached the cracked and worn road, he stepped onto the warm pavement and began retracing his steps toward the side of the ridge line he had come in on. After a few more minutes of easy walking, he found what he had been looking for.

The Gallimimus herd was milling around the edge of the grasslands. The ostrich like animals walked comfortably through the tall grass picking at whatever bugs or seeds pleased them. He approached the larger dinosaurs cautiously, hoping not to startle them.

The trainer pulled his rifle to his shoulder and looked down his sights. Kneeling, he watched the creatures through the scope, trying to figure out where he needed to shoot in order to bring one down. With his concentration on the Gallimimus, he didn't even notice Blue until she brushed against his side. The contact startled him, his heart rate spiking, but he didn't move.

"Hey girl. Give me just a minute, I need to line up the shot."

An inquisitive mewl was the only response she gave.

When he had chosen his animal, he checked his chamber to make sure a round was sitting in it before he slid the bolt forward with a soft metallic click.

Blue's shifted beside him at the noise. He imagined that she was probably looking at him, waiting for the reward that the click signaled.

He steadied his breath, forcing himself to ignore the predatory dinosaur seated at his side.

With a light exhale he squeezed the trigger.

CRACK!

The gunshot echoed through the valley. The herd of Gallimimus was on the move and nearby birds abandoned their roost with irritated calls.

The Raptor beside him had jumped straight into the air at the sound, landing with a heavy thud a second later. She scrambled away from Owen before turning to stare at the man with nervous eyes. She stood defensively at the edge of the road, keeping her head down and her neck coiled back.

The trainer immediately put a hand out towards blue his palm down loosely.

"Easy girl, eyes on me."

Her eyes never left him.

Pulling his hand back, he pulled the bolt and ejected the spent cartridge. He flipped his rifle over and shouldered it with the strap.

When he made to stand back up, Blue hissed a warning at him and he immediately stopped.

"It's okay Blue."

"Eyes on me." She was already staring him down.

"Good girl. Now follow me."

It was a command he had introduced a few weeks ago, but it had been met with very limited success in the paddock, but it did allow him to stand back up out here. Carefully, he backed away from the nervous raptor. With short steps he began to ease his way toward the animal he had just shot.

When he was about twenty feet away Blue finally relaxed, following him at a distance, pausing to sniff the air where he had taken the shot. The herd had scattered into the nearby trees and down the length of the tree line. He approached the kill site cautiously and pulled his knife from his belt and watching his surroundings carefully. He knew that the Park didn't see Gallimimus as dangerous animals, but Owen didn't feel like taking any chances.

When he reached the animal, it was still alive, if only just. The blood spilling from its chest wound had given the grass around the animal a crimson sheen and it began to struggle weakly with short panting breaths as he approached.

Dropping to his knees beside the animal, he took the creature's head in his lap. Looking up to check for danger, he spotted his raptor watching him from a few feet away. Glancing back down at the dying creature, he took a moment to respect the animal's life, a life he knew nothing about. A life he was taking to ensure that his raptors survived.

He slid the knife deeply into the back of its small head.

Once the animal grew still he began to work.

When he opened the animal, he had to step back quickly because Blue rushed in.

Stepping back, he let her eat. The Gallimimus were big, bigger than the raptors. There would be enough for the whole pack.

When Blue had had her fill, Owen went back to work, dressing the animal as best as he could for an animal that he knew so little about. Blue had taken care of most of the chest cavity, so he focused on pulling the other usable meat from the carcass.

The sun was low in the sky when he wiped his knife in the grass for the final time. Giving it one final wipe on his pant leg for good measure, he sheathed the blade and heaved a much heavier backpack onto his shoulders. Giving the straps a nice tug, Owen settled the heavy bag and began to walk back towards the raptor camp.

Blue ambled slowly beside him, content to let him lead her back to the camp. The poor girl was trying to stay awake, but between her exhaustion and the food in her belly, he knew that it would be a losing battle

They walked back into camp as the sun was turning the sky a deep orange. The other raptors were awake and watching he and Blue intensely from their comfortable positions on the ground. Pulling the pack off his back he carefully but quickly grabbed what he knew they wanted.

Soft growls emanated from the lounging raptors, but they were quickly silenced by a snap from Blue.

Cautiously he tossed each raptor a large cut of meat.

They ate ravenously.

But they ate well.

Owen's own stomach grumbled as he watched them eat. He had offered everything he had to the pack before him, but he had one more energy bar. Grabbing that and the small bottle of water from the bottom of his bag, he began to chow down. Finishing the bar quickly, he tossed the package back in his bag and wiped the blood off of the bottle, grimacing a bit at the smell of it.

The backpack was probably ruined now, but it had done its job. Unscrewing the cap, he chugged the bottle in a few seconds. They would need to find water tomorrow, but for tonight, the pack was settled, full and whole once again.

 


	8. Cohesion

Morning came too quickly and Owen was stirred by a less than gentle nudge on his head. Cracking his eyes open, he found Blue staring down at him with a tilted head. Closing his eyes again he ignored the blue streaked raptor until she let out a snort of hot breath into his face.

The trainer shot up with a start, coughing and choking back the urge to vomit at the rancid smell of Blue's breath. His coughing fit earned the interest of the rest of the pack. The four raptors stared at him while he struggled to regain his breath before Blue gave him a sharp bark. Turning around, she flicked the tip of her tail painfully against the back of his head as she slipped into the tall grass.

"Damn raptors." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his head and finally getting to his feet. He carefully picked up his rifle and slung onto his shoulder. Blue offered him another bark accompanied by an impatient whine. He was coming. Grumbling, tired, and sore; but he was following the insistent dinosaur.

The perimeter check had gone much quicker this time, Blue only stopping to update her markings or wait on him as he followed slowly behind, even stopping to "mark" the territory himself. That had earned Blue's interest. She had quickly returned to investigate his work, finally deciding that it was acceptable before moving on. When the pair returned to the camp, they saw all three raptors were up and moving. Delta and Echo were busy sniffing the tall grass that marked the edge of their makeshift campsite. Charlie was standing comfortably. She still favored one leg when she walked, but the nights rest and full meal had done her well. Owen cracked a small smile. His girls were still looking rough, but they were a lot livelier today.

With everyone up and moving, Blue wasted no time in convincing the pack to start moving. Her barks and purrling calls seemed to encourage the other raptors into moving together. The raptors themselves moved as one for the most part. As the moved, Owen quickly learned the standard formation that the dinosaurs preferred to travel by.

They had none.

Delta, Echo, and Blue seemed to be vying for the position as leader of the party and while both Echo and Delta Followed Blue's direction, they seemed more preoccupied by just about anything else they could possibly run across. One of the two would frequently duck away to chase a sent, quickly being followed by the other when she realized her sister was gone. Blue would then follow after, noisily calling after the two sisters, urging them to return to the group.

Charlie was slowing them down. She was moving far more steadily today than she had yesterday, but she still couldn't run or join her sisters. Her pace matched Owen's own pace and honestly the trainer was a little grateful that he wasn't the one keeping the pack from moving faster. Unfortunately, this gave other two raptors more time to goof off and explore game trails. Owen could swear that Blue was getting irritated almost to the point of breaking. He smiled a bit, enjoying the tiniest taste of karma as he watched the blue streaked Bark and nip at her two sisters as they gleefully ran off for the umpteenth time. The trainer silently wondered when she would snap.

It happened not much later and it had been toward Owen. Delta had ducked away again to chase a small bird, Blue releasing a pained whine, following it with a harsh warble. Owen walked slowly next to Charlie, biting back a light laugh. He couldn't hold back the snort when Echo used Blue's distraction to duck off on her own adventure.

Blue had whirled on him the moment the noise left his mouth. Her head was lowered and her teeth bared towards him in a dangerous snarl. She had surprised him so much that he had instinctively raised his gun to her.

Their forward progress stopped and both he and Blue bared their weapons at each other. Ignoring the rifle all together, the blue streaked predator glared at Owen, a sharp hiss escaping her mouth. They faced each other until Echo burst through the grass tripping and falling when Delta slammed into her from behind, the two falling into a tight wrestling match, complete with excited cries and playful barks.

The angry raptor in front of him released a huff of hot air, turning from Owen to address the playful duo. Her barks were shrill, ending in a hissing undertone as faced her unruly sisters. They however, ignored her soundly, far more focused on their play fight.

Blue remained where she was, her tail twitching in frustration.

Then it clicked.

Stepping forward, the trainer moved next to the upset raptor, letting his hand brush her side to let her know he was there. Her muscles tensed, but she didn't move. Pulling his hand off her, he rested his rifle in front of him, gripping it casually with each hand.

"Hey!"

"Delta, Echo!"

They didn't respond, either ignoring him or unable to hear him through their own barks and whines.

CRACK!

The sound of a gunshot echoed around the valley once again. Both Delta, and Echo froze and Owen lowered the rifle to his waist from where he had been aiming in the air.

"That's better."

"Eye's on me."

Two sets of amber eyes were boring holes into his skull.

"Good, now follow me."

Confidently he stepped beyond them without another word, purposely turning his back to the entire pack, and moving forward in the direction they had been travelling. He half expected to be pushed to the ground by the dangerous predators. Instead, he only heard a huff and the soft steps of one of the raptors catching up to him.

Blue materialized on his left, taking a position beside him as he continued to walk. She nudged him softly with her side releasing a soft purrl as she continued beside him at an easy pace.

The rest of the morning was filled with walking Blue would occasionally rush ahead, disappearing into the grass or nearby jungle underbrush, before returning a few minutes later, guiding the man and the rest of her pack through the jungle valley. Owen for the most part just enjoyed the walk. He had expected danger with his back to three members of the pack, but they didn't interfere with him. Charlie seemed to be focused on keeping up and only paid him mind when Blue would let out a warble or a bark. The other two behaved for the most part. They still ducked away frequently, satisfying their insatiable curiosity, if only briefly. When Echo or Delta would begin acting up or become obnoxious, Owen would only need to let out a sharp "Hey!" to get them to fall back in line.

* * *

It was early afternoon when they finally stopped to rest Owen let out a relieved sigh when they finally reached a moderately sized river that snaked its way lazy through the valley floor. All four raptors made their way straight to the water's edge. Taking turns to drink greedily from the water source while their sisters instinctively watched the surrounding area for danger.

Owen retrieved the small bottle of water from his pack and fished out a small bottle of tablets from one of the front pouches. Kneeling at the water's edge, he filled the bottle and dropped a tablet in before sealing the lid and tucking it back into his backpack.

Setting his things down, the animal handler carefully waded into the water, feeling a sigh of relief escape his lips as the cool water rushed over his tired body. The river itself was only about chest deep, and the current slow enough that he had no problem swimming upstream.

After several meters, he turned onto his back and let the current slowly carry him back toward where he had gotten in.

Blue was at the bank, eyeing him curiously, her head was extended over the water, but her feet were at the water's edge, unwilling to step in. Owen put his feet down, standing in the middle of the water.

"Eyes on me."

"That's it, good girl, now follow me."

He pushed away, backing slowly across the river. Hesitantly the grey-blue raptor stepped into the water with one foot. She paused with one foot in the water, staring at the liquid as it slipped lazily over her talons. She cocked her head and watched the water for nearly a minute before finally slipping into the water fully.

She continued to make her way towards Owen, trying to watch her legs through the flowing water. Catching herself from slipping on the shifting stones under the water's surface, she finally reached the center of the stream. With almost a contented sigh, Blue lowered herself into the water until just her neck and head sat above the waterline. Turning her head back to the bank, she let out a trill warble before dunking her head into the water and giving it a violent shake.

The rest of the pack had joined in quickly enough and soon all four raptors were lounging in the cool water. Owen took this time to actually begin examining and cleaning the various injuries that the Velociraptors had sustained. Starting with Blue, he began to carefully run his hand along her back, feeling the rough edges and dried blood that marked her cuts.

She hissed at him several times when he carefully removed splinters and other debris from the closing wounds, but she had never turned her head, content to let him work and even letting out a low hum when he rubbed the base of her neck, checking the healing cut that had been the insertion point of her new tracker.

Charlie had let him do the same, though she preferred to watch him as he worked. Soon, the cuts and scrapes on her back were clean as well. Feeling confident with his success, he cautiously approached Delta. She actively tuned her back to him, letting him work without a second thought.

She only had one or two gashes that he was worried about, and soon enough, he had finished with her as well. Turning to face the last raptor on his list, he was surprised to see that she had waded to him and was now lowering her back to him, a carefree hum emanating from deep inside her throat.

It was actually the crackle of the radio that pulled Owen from the cool water. Stepping out of the water, his clothes clung wetly to him. Grabbing the radio, he clicked it on.

"Hello?"

"Owen, thank God!" Barry cried, his voice cracking across the radio.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, yes. For now at least. What about you? Are you hurt?"

"What does that mean?"

"There have been reports of gunshots on the north side of the island. The park staff is talking, there's word going around that poachers are in the research zone. I'm guessing those shots were you?"

"They were, and everything is going fine on my end, I just needed to secure some food for our girls, that's all."

"They aren't hunting?"

"They're trying, but they seem to be learning the hard way that it's not easy. I think Blue is realizing that a trapped pig is not the same as a wild animal."

"And Charlie?"

"She's doing alright, using her leg more today than yesterday, but she's still slow. I don't think it's a serious injury, but I don't think anything is broken."

Grabbing the tracking device out of the stained pack, he flipped it on and let it boot up. "I'm looking at our position now, Blue's leading us the long way around, but we are heading toward the paddock."

"Wait, Blue's leading you?"

"It's a long story. Listen, just have the vets ready for when the pack gets back. I'm going to keep travelling with them until they get close to home, then I'll jump the fence and meet you at the paddock."

"Wait you're travelling with them? Not tracking them?"

"I'll explain everything later."

"You had better. Look, just be careful, I don't want to lose my rifle out there."

"Your rifle, this is mine."

"No, I'm looking at yours right now, complete with the stupid custom engraving on the stock."

Owen glanced down at the rifle lying next to his pack.

"Well I'll be damned."

"Copy that."

* * *

Owen had brought down another Gallimimus that evening, Delta had even helped chase it out of the woods and into the open. The pack itself had made camp near the river and Blue had dragged him on another perimeter run. She scared off a couple of Ankylosaurs. Her growls and barks were more bluff than anything else, but they had done the job.

It turned out that the raptors were deeply intrigued by fire. When Owen had gone about lighting it to cook his own share of the Gallimimus, he had been quickly approached by all four raptors who made themselves comfortable next to him, staring into the flame. Echo was the first to try and nip the flames, but had pulled back with a yelp and a hiss.

Owen watched the raptors as they lay around him and the campfire. Rest and a good bath had done them wonders. With the dried blood and mud finally washed away, the girl's natural colors were finally allowed to show again. He could see that each raptor was beginning to heal and none of the lacerations or bruises showed any signs of infection.

Surprisingly, none of the dinosaurs were interested in the meat he had set to roast above the fire. He wasn't sure if it was because they had already eaten their fill or if it was because they had already accepted him into their pack. It was a concerning question to not know the answer to.

The next day had been much of the same, the pack moved slowly through the valley. With Charlie looking and feeling better each day, Blue seemed to be less inclined to return to the paddock, content to follow trails and explore the valley itself. As a result, their progress toward home slowed to a crawl and when they set up camp for the evening, Owen felt that they were only a few hundred yards from their last camp.

Delta and Echo had fallen comfortably in line around him and seemed to pick up on whatever he was trying to communicate to them at any given time. Charlie was a little less compliant, but she still responded anytime he addressed her.

It was actually a little frightening how quickly he was adjusting to living with the pack.

xxxxxxxxxx

Owen was hunting.

It was late in the afternoon.

Echo and Blue had returned earlier with half a carcass. The other raptors had fed greedily while the two successful hunters had watched their sisters eat, tails swaying happily behind them. Owen on the other hand was getting a little tired of the Ostrich like dinosaurs they had fed off of the last few days. He had seen rabbit holes in a nearby field, and now, he was hoping to get something a little less tough and stringy to eat.

Delta had followed him out. She watched him with expressionless amber eyes as he moved quietly toward his prey. He stopped when he was about twenty feet away. The rabbit saw him, or knew he was there, but it felt safe from so far away, its hole only a few feet away.

The man raised his rifle quietly, lining his sights with the rabbits head. He would need to get a clean hit or risk losing the entire animal to the rifle's large caliber. Steadying his breathing, he prepared to take the shot.

A mechanical growl echoed through the valley, quickly dying down to a more standard constant rumble.

"Shit."

He had lost track of time.

He sat perfectly still, the rabbit forgotten as he listened to the approaching motors. He cursed himself once more. He had really forgotten what day it was. A.C.U. was heading out to retrieve his girls and he was still in the field with them.

By now, the recovery team would have already tranquilized the pack and they would be moving in to pick the dinosaurs up.

Glancing around, he looked for a good place to hide. He would need to wait and sneak back well after they were gone.

Delta just stared at him, sniffing the air with shot breaths.

Wait. Why was Delta still awake if the containment unit was approaching? Another string of curses spilled from his mouth in frustration. Vic was not sticking to the plan. He had to get back to the pack before anything could escalate.

"Delta, Eyes on me."

"Okay, follow me."

She gave him an inquisitive chirrup and he turned, shouldering his rifle and breaking into a light jog. An alarming series of barks echoed through the trees around him. He picked up his pace, running toward their clearing.

Delta kept up with him easily and when they neared their camp for the day, she broke off to join her sisters. He broke into camp breathing heavily. In front of him, he could see the pack standing off against a group of men dressed in black military gear.

The men had piled out of their vehicles and spread out around the camp with their weapons drawn in a semicircle around Owen's raptors. He could hear the growls coming from each Velociraptor as they lowered themselves, stretching their necks and baring their teeth aggressively.

Standing just behind his men was Vic Hoskins.

He was decked out in similar field gear, a large caliber pistol on his belt and an electric goad gripped loosely in his right hand.

Pulling his rifle to his shoulder Owen entered the clearing and stepped in front of his raptors, eyeing the group of men angrily

"Mr. Grady. I was wondering where you might turn up. It seems that your friend Mr. Sy was indeed hiding something after all."

"This wasn't the plan Vic."

"No, it certainly wasn't. Now I'm going to ask you once. Put the rifle down Mr Grady."

"Not until you tell your men to STAND DOWN!"

"That's not how this is going to work, and you know it."

"No, what I know is that we had agreed to not use aggressive capture techniques." He could hear Blue hissing in the background, he could imagine her glaring at the men from behind him.

"Your right, and these animals dug into one of our laced carcasses several hours ago. They should be out cold any minute. What we didn't agree upon was you gallivanting back here with your pets!"

He felt, more than heard the thud as one of his raptors slipped to the ground.

"One down sir."

Thank you, I can see for myself." Vic replied with a grunt.

Now Mr. Grady, I'm going to ask you again to stop putting my men in danger and let us handle the situation. Put. The. Gun. Down."

Grady heard a second raptor hit the ground behind him. Blue's hissing grew into a deeper growl, filling his left ear as she stepped up beside him. He glanced at the fierce amber eyes that were fixed on the men in front of them. Looking back to the men, he realized something.

"I can't."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm a part of the pack now, if I give in, even just a little bit, I will forfeit all the trust I've built with them."

"I see." The large man paused, tucking the goad under his arm and pulling out a cigar. Flicking a lighter out of his pocket, he lit it and took a long breath. Breathing a large cloud of smoke out as he considered his options.

He felt Blue stumble beside him. Her neck growing loose, and her eyelids drooping heavily.

A deep thud behind him informed him that Blue was the only one left standing.

She stumbled again, sinking to her belly, eyes closing as she tried to let out another, quiet warning bark.

When all four raptors were safely on the ground, Owen dropped his rifle, flipping it and sliding the strap over his shoulder. He approached the men in black gear. A small smile made its way to his face and he held out a hand toward Vic.

"Thanks for sticking to the plan."

"It's what I do Mr. Grady." Vic said, shaking the trainer's hand firmly.

Owen turned and looked at his girls. All four were safely asleep, not in the most graceful or comfortable positions. But they were safe. Looking back to the men he began to direct them.

"Okay, let's get them loaded up and moved, we really don't want to be on the road when they wake up."

The men began to move carefully toward the drugged raptors.

"Mr. Grady?"

"Yes?" He turned back to Vic who had a troubled look on his face. "Is something wrong?"

"Well when we discussed this crazy experiment, you asked me to subdue the whole pack and bring them home."

"Yeah, w-" The electric goad jabbed its way into his gut, releasing 50,000 volts into Owens stomach. His body stiffened, unable to move, unable to react in any way. The rod pulled away.

He fell to the ground groaning in pain, a hacking sob escaping the mans lips.

"By your own words, that now includes you."

The kick hit him in the back of the head and everything went black.


	9. Repercussions

 

Everything was painfully stiff. His eyes still closed, Owen tried to roll over, but found that he couldn't. The headache pounding through his skull only made things worse. He let out a raspy groan, wishing that he could just go back to sleep until the pain and discomfort subsided.

Despite many protests from his body, his mind was already beginning to wake up, trying to piece together what was going on and why he felt so bad. He remembered the jungle, hunting with his girls. Hoskins.

His eyes shot open as the last things he remembered flooded back into his mind. Groaning deeply, he pushed himself into a seated position. The air was warm and stale around him as he sat up, mentally taking note of his aches and pains.

Someone had left him on the couch in the paddock's outbuilding. Owen sat on the couch for several minutes not wanting really move. His chest and stomach felt the worst. His abdomen felt uncomfortably stiff and any real movement felt like he was getting the wind knocked out of him.

Finally he got to his feet shakily and made his way over to the bathroom. When the light flicked on, his reflection looked normal, with the exception of the exhausted bag under his eyes.

Before he could look himself over any further, he felt his gut rise uncomfortably and it was all he could do to reach the toilet before he wretched over the porcelain bowl.

Feeling a little better, he stood and lifted his shirt in front of the mirror. Two angry red welts sat parallel to each other just above his navel. The puffy redness around them, spread several inches in diameter and it was all tender to his touch. With a slight wince, he lowered his shirt and stepped out of the bathroom. His fists clenching into tight balls.

The first thing he did when he stepped out of the outbuilding was track down the nearest A.C.U. officer. It wasn't hard since a pair was stood just outside the gates to paddock number one. As he approached, the guard on the right stepped forward, raising a hand to Owen's chest.

"Take me to Hoskins." Owen hissed.

The guard's hand dropped and he stepped back with a nod before pulling his radio, opening the channel with a click.

"We've got Mr. Grady here looking for Mr. Hoskins."

Garbled static played through the tiny speakers before a sharp voice responded "Copy that."

With click of affirmation, the radio went silent and the guards escorted Owen to an InGen SUV parked nearby.

The thirty minute ride across the island did little to calm the trainer down. The ride itself was made in silence as Owen sat in the back of the truck replaying exactly what had happened in the clearing and wincing at every bump that set off pain in his sore body. Surprisingly, they passed the park control center and laboratory behind, driving for another five minutes before parking at a small nondescript building only marked with a single InGen logo on the front door.

The A.C.U. officers showed him into the building and left without a word. A secretary greeted him kindly, pointing him to the office he was looking for. With barely a grunt of acknowledgement, Owen marched his way toward his target before throwing the door open with a little more force than he admittedly intended.

"Mr. Grady, take a seat, we were just waiting for you to arrive."

Dr. Wu's voice caused the young man to pause, but only just. Deciding to ignore the geneticist, Owen stormed across the room toward the belligerent man seated across the table.

"What the hell Hoskins! Where the hell do you get off? I was helping your men and you saw fit to taze me?!"

The Larger man stood eyeing the handler dangerously. "Helping my men? You pointed a rifle at them! I would imagine that a decorated sailor like yourself would know better than that!" the man snarled loudly.

Before either party could continue however, Dr. Wu addressed Owen firmly. "Mr. Grady, if you value your job and your animals, then I expect you to sit down so we can discuss this as civilized men."

Owen took a step back and stared at the doctor, processing what he had just said. Finally after a couple seconds, he let his hands unclench and pull out the nearby chair. He settled into the plush seat with a stiff grunt and stared expectantly at the two men sitting before him.

Dr. Wu waited for nearly a full minute before he finally broke his gaze to glance down at the documents laying before him. Clearing his throat slightly he calmly addressed the trainer.

"Mr. Grady. Your work over the past few months has been quite satisfactory and your reports have given much valuable insight into Velociraptor behavior and development. Although the other trainers in this experiment have made significant headway into training their animals, I appreciate the steady thoroughness in your methods.

I am aware that your methods are slower than the others, and you have only just begun to really experiment with the trainability of Velociraptors. Your recent actions however are beginning to worry myself and InGen's board of directors."

Owen opened his mouth to speak but Dr. Wu cut him off.

"Mr. Grady, just listen right now. What I am about to say is important and I need you to understand just the situation that you have gotten yourself into.

Now, you are aware that you have violated numerous policies and regulations during your time on Isla Nublar. Are you not?" Owen nodded quietly. "Policies that have been put in place to ensure the safety and security of any staff or visitors on this island.

I have in front of me, a file containing the incident reports that have been filed regarding your behavior. Discounting minor policy violations, two large breaches of protocol are sitting in the documents before me and I am aware of a third that was not reported. Tell me, Mr. Grady, how many violations does Masrani Global tolerate before terminating their employees?"

"Three?"

"One, Mr. Grady. Only one mistake is needed for any employee to be removed from Jurassic World. This island has an unfortunate history as I'm sure you may have heard. Masrani Global and InGen are working hard to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

Luckily for you, you are an InGen employee. Because of this, Mr. Hoskins has not informed Masrani Global of these violations. Instead, he wisely brought this matter to me for further discussion. We have already settled the matter with InGen's board of directors and now we would like to discuss it with you."

"Wait, Vic kept me from getting fired?" Owen asked, giving a skeptical look to the Head of Security.

"Indeed, in fact if it weren't for both of our appeals, the InGen board of directors would have voted on terminating your employment."

Owen stared at them blankly, the words not quite processing before he finally blurted "Why?"

The large security officer sat up in his seat and ran his hand through his hair. "To put it simply. InGen does not like to lose assets. If you were to be fired, then InGen would lose you, your work, and your raptors. Don't get me wrong, I don't like you. Your actions and methods are unconventional and have repeatedly made my life more difficult; but even I can see the value in successfully training raptors. If that's not an acceptable answer to you, then consider it my apology for going a hair too far with you yesterday."

"Thanks, I think. Wait, what happens to the raptors if I'm fired?"

Dr. Wu paused, watching Owen briefly before responding. "The research being done by yourself and the other handlers is a joint effort being managed by both Masrani Global and InGen. The work is serving a dual purpose. Masrani Global is hoping to determine whether or not Velociraptors can be trained for future attractions within Jurassic World.

InGen's purpose is more pure. We are hoping to determine whether or not these animals can be trained and if we can isolate the genes that produce more trainable specimens. We are hoping that the research you provide us will help us make more stable and trainable dinosaurs in the future.

If you are forcibly removed from this experiment then your research will be considered invalid and the assets you were given will be disposed of."

"Wait you would just kill the raptors?"

"We would not, no. Just like your reports, your animals could still be of use to future InGen research without your presence. Masrani Global on the other hand, is uninterested in the continued care of a 'failed' experiment. They have no desire to keep unusable assets. Unfortunately, as the contract stands, Masrani Global owns the majority share of all the living assets on this island."

"They would really just kill one of their animals?"

"It pains me every time I see it, but yes they do if it serves them no purpose. You must understand Mr. Grady, I am just the geneticist; I make these animals according to the late Dr. Hammond's wishes. InGen does have some rights to them of course, but Masrani Global is managing the park and the care of its animals.

This is the real reason I wanted to speak to you Mr. Grady. At my request, InGen's board of directors and their lawyers have drawn up a solution that I believe would be a benefit to both of us.

As the primary handler for your raptors, your position allows you say in the continued care of your animals. In short, you own a small amount of stock in the animals you care for. This means that you may request changes in their care, handling, and dispatch. Again, this is only a small amount of control over daily operations, but it is still something.

As Mr. Hoskins stated, InGen does not like to lose assets, especially ones that show promise. This is why we want you to sign over your intentions of care to InGen. The documents that we have prepared will legally declare your desire that the Velociraptors in your care remain with InGen and their employees regardless of the experiment's outcome."

Owen stared at the small stack of papers that Vic had slid to him while Dr. Wu was speaking. The trainer chewed on his lip thoughtfully. "So my raptors will be safe regardless of what happens to me?"

"Correct, your signature will give InGen the majority claim on your animals in the event of the experiments conclusion or your termination. And I can assure you, we will not kill you raptors. I knit their genes together myself and put even more effort into your imprinted one. I will not let an investment like that go to waste."

As Dr. Wu finished his statement, Owen ran the pen across the paper before him in a scratchy signature. His gut was churning and flipping. He was unsure if it was the unease at how close he had come to getting them killed or if it was an aftershock of the electric goad. He did know one thing though, if it protected his girls, he would do it.

Sliding the papers back across the table he asked the question that was next on his list. "What about me?"

Taking the signed documents, Dr. Wu looked to the young man across the table from him. "In light of your cooperation, I think Mr. Hoskins and I can ensure that these infractions are never found by Masrani Global."

Vic reached out and slid the file containing his infraction reports across the table and into a small metal trashcan that he held in his other hand. Pulling his lighter out of his pocket, he lit the corner of one sheet and set the trashcan next to an open window by the desk.

The three of them watched the manila envelope burn until there was nothing but charred remains.

"Well if that is all, then I must be getting back to my l-"

"Why me? Why go through all this trouble for me?" Owen asked suddenly. "Why not just get my signature and fire my ass?"

"Did you not hear me earlier? You are an asset to me Mr. Grady. One that I have invested in quite heavily, or did you think that your raptors patched you up after you were dragged out of your paddock a few months ago. Now I have invested even more into you and your work. So please, don't mess it up."

Having said his piece, Henry Wu stood and walked calmly out of the large office, leaving Owen and Vic sitting at the table. Vic rolled his eyes and slid over to his desk leaving Owen sitting at the table, lost in thought.

"Get out of my office Mr. Grady, I have work to do and unless you want to help my men clean up the herbivore transport rig, then I suggest you go find your father."

"My father?"

"Yes, he checked in at the resort last night."

"Really? Why is he here?"

"Because he's a father, and they generally come looking when the chief of security calls to inform them that their son has gone missing at work. Seriously, he insisted. Go find him and get the hell out of my office."

* * *

Sure enough, John Grady was sitting in the lobby of the park's Hilton Resort. As Owen walked through the doors, his father put down the brochure he had been looking at and greeted his son with a tight hug.

A pained cough escaped his lips, but he wrapped his arms around his old man and returned the greeting. His father was the first to speak.

"I'm glad you're okay, son. What the hell happened?"

"It's a long story, dad."

A single graying eyebrow raised at Owen's response "Well what did you think I came here just to go back home? I may need to leave before the office misses me too much, but I've got time."

Owen let out a light-hearted groan.

"Look, I'm fine. I'm sorry I made you worry, but I've gotten everything cleared up now."

"Is that why you're walking like you just out of a boxing ring?"

"Dad it's nothing, just got a little beat up on the job, that's all."

"Son, cut the shit. 30,000 volts is a bit more than your standard job hazards."

Owen let out another groan, he wasn't getting away from this. "You know someone on A.C.U. don't you?"

A hearty chuckle escaped the older man's mouth and his hand absently pulled at the short white beard sitting on his face. "Told me that you went down like a sack of potatoes." His face hardened as he fixed a glare on his son. "What the hell were you thinking? Pulling a gun on another person? Were you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Dad, stop. Look, can we talk about this when we're not in public. How about I go grab us a car and we can get a bite to eat. We can talk about this on the way."

"No, I want to see your raptors first. I need to see what's making my son act like a careless fool."

"Dad, I don't think this is a good idea, I'm not even sure that you can go with me."

"Relax, your friend Vic had me sign a small book of agreements that moment I stepped foot on the island. Even got a fancy key card for all the trouble."

xxxxxxxxxx

"So you stepped in front of a firing squad for these animals, and had the balls to raise your weapon right back?" The words slipped coolly from his father's mouth and Owen had to glance over to the passenger seat in order to gauge what his father was thinking.

The older man's face was weathered and his jaw was square set. It gave the man hard features that could intimidate anyone who didn't know him. Owen however could see the faintest line of a smile hiding beneath the gray-white mustache.

The drive to the paddock had consisted mostly of Owen filling his dad in on everything that had happened from the start. John Grady had listened quietly, only interjecting when he needed clarification, but now as they neared paddock number one, Owen could see his father processing everything he had just said.

He looked like he was about to speak, but the SUV rounded the corner, arriving at paddock one. A sharp, long whistle came from his father's lips as he took in the paddock for the first time. Owen felt a slight grin touch his lips as he parked next to the outbuilding.

The afternoon sun was still high in the sky when the two men stepped out of the car and headed toward the large enclosure. When they finally stepped onto the catwalks, Owen took his comfortable spot leaning on the interior railing and looking in. his father quickly followed suit mirroring his sons posture and looking out into the jungle foliage that concealed the back of the paddock.

With a sharp whistle, Owen hoped to draw his girls out and get a good look at them. He knew Barry would take care of them, but he hadn't seen them since they had been tranquilized. Unsurprisingly, Blue was the first to make her way out of the underbrush. Each foot hit the ground with a heavy thud as she rushed toward the familiar noise. Sliding to a stop, the raptor made eye contact with him, digging her sharp talons into the dirt and giving a welcoming purrl.

He could see a warm recognition in her eyes, and she eagerly began to pace around the clearing, keeping her eyes locked onto him. Glancing away only briefly, she released a series of barks that he knew would draw the other girls into the clearing.

Sure enough, the others followed soon enough. The three raptors ambled into the clearing below them. Echo and Delta acknowledged the humans above them only briefly before quickly getting bored and turning to explore the nearby bushes for any treats. Charlie was the last to arrive making her way over more slowly, taking her time but moving steadily on her feet and not showing much sign on the injury he knew she must still be recovering from.

Now that he could see them, a sense of anxiety that he hadn't noticed seemed to dissolve around him. All four of his girls had cleaned up nicely. Barry and the vets had done impeccable jobs making sure that each cut had been inspected and dealt with accordingly. The cobalt streaks on Blue's back seemed to shine in the afternoon sun. Delta, Echo and Charlie seemed to be cleaned up as well, their colors more distinct against the shredded bark and dirt that made up the flooring of the enclosure. Sparing a quick glance toward his father, he saw a small smile on the older man's face.

He took a step over, checking the nearby bucket for any treats he might give his girls. A smile quickly emerged on his face and he silently thanked Barry for setting up their afternoon training session early. Pulling four half frozen rats from the bucket he gave a sharp click of his tongue and tossed each raptor a treat. Each frozen treat was quickly snatched from the air or off the ground, three raptors emitting excited cheeps that they reserved only for the rewards handed out by the trainers. Blue however ignored the treat and even let Echo swoop in and inhale the tasty morsel. Her eyes remained fixed on the trainer stood fifteen feet above her.

Owen turned towards the fixated raptor and when she knew she had gotten his attention, she moved away from him, hugging closely to the wall. After a few paces, she turned and gave him a bark, her tail twitching impatiently.

Rolling his eyes, Owen waved to his dad and muttered a quick promise that he would be right back. Turning, he began to follow the raptor below him. The perimeter check took almost no time at all, but it still left him gripping his gut painfully as his stiff muscles protested at the sudden work.

Blue seemed placated for the time and rejoined the other raptors, taking up a comfortable position lying next to Charlie.

"You imprinted that one?" His father spoke, quietly motioning to Blue.

"Yes sir."

"She's well socialized, acts almost normal around the others."

"Almost?" Owen glanced down at his imprinted girl.

"Yeah, she still checks on you every few seconds, but otherwise, the others seem to accept her readily enough." Sure enough Blue glanced briefly at him before nosing lazily in the dirt.

"Yeah, she fought hard to earn that acceptance. Now she's pack alpha." Owen's voice dropped to a quiet whisper, a creeping sense of failure tinging his voice.

"That upsets you?"

"A little, how am I supposed to successfully train them if I'm not the leader of the pack?"

His father remained quiet for almost a minute as he watched the animals below him. Finally he glanced over to his son. "I don't know much about packs, but I've worked with plenty of raptors throughout my life and I see many bird traits in your animals. I know that you know this, it shows in the way that you've trained them so far. But I want to remind you of a few things. Consider it food for thought if nothing else." He leaned back onto the railing, speaking out into the open air.

"We falconers are a proud bunch. We successfully train the best aerial predators in the world, but it's easy to forget that we don't actually train them very much. Everything we put into them is meant to build trust. Despite every effort we make to train a bird of prey, it is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount that they train us. We think that we are leading them, but they lead us more often than not. We may convince them to come to a whistle or chase after a prey item they normally won't hunt, but they in turn train us to beat the bushes, brave the thorns and the briars, and follow them through the toughest terrain in search for game. We protect them and give them all the care we can muster. Sure, they share their catch with us, but everything is on their terms. If they wanted to, they could leave on the next available thermal and there is nothing we could do about it.

Your girls are smarter than our birds, I can see it right now. If they really have let you into their pack, then don't take that for granted, even if you aren't the alpha. I know only a little about packs, I never studied them like your mother, but I did learn this from her. Packs are  _Not_  for life. They are relationships like any other familial bond. They require effort and loyalty to make everything run smoothly and if what you are saying is true, then your girls are going to require a more fluid relationship than a simple alpha leader.

My hawk leads me as much as I lead him. Our perspectives are different and the key is to learn when your perspective is right and when it is not. Sometimes you will need to lead and other times you will need to follow. They will train you Owen, but in return, they will let you train them. Be open to it, but know when to put your foot down and assume leadership. Eventually, they will respect your input regardless of your rank in their pack."

Owen's father paused and let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair as he watched the blue streaked raptor get up and duck into the foliage.

"I know they asked you to imprint her Owen, but don't let yourself forget what she is. Remember how tricky Imprints can be. The only true thing an imprinted animal receives is another string to pull them one way or the other. We give them our identity and expect them to cope with the world. You've socialized her well, and according to you, it seems that she has bonded with you nicely.

Just don't forget that imprinting is never the same thing as taming. That raptor may look to you for all her support, but she is not yours. She will always belong to her instinct. No matter how you train her, teach her, or socialize her. She will always submit to her instinct above all else.

Her own identity is a small part of herself, a frail line to rely on if you hope to work with her safely. Her pack, her partners, are a safer line, and you are a part of that line now. But the strongest string that will pull on her at every turn will always be her instinct. Be aware of it and Beware of it. If you need her to respond without fail, then you will need to appeal to that alone."

With that, his father finished speaking and the paddock descended back into natural quiet of an afternoon. Father and son watched a pack of raptors lounging below and Owen was left to chew on the words spoken to him.


	10. Strings

 

John Grady stayed on the Island for two more days. He and Owen had taken the time to explore the park, discussing training techniques, sports, and anything else that came to mind. The time that the two had spent together was refreshing and Owen had been saddened to see him board the ferry earlier this morning.

He had given Owen a tight hug, wishing him well and reminding him to not be a stranger, a skype call would be nice every now and then.

Then he was gone, and Owen was left with his thoughts.

Now he sat in his company provided SUV, making the long quiet journey to the paddock. The thought of losing his animals to a 'failed' experiment or termination of his employment scared him. He had figured that if something happened to him, his work would be continued by someone else. To hear that the heads of Masrani Global cared so little for the animals that he was pouring his life into, it settled coldly in the bottom of his gut like a shard of ice. He had no doubt that InGen was likely just as bad, but at least a few of the scientists would care.

He had grown attached to the Velociraptors. It was unsurprising if he was honest. He had always grown attached to his birds as well. They were never that attached to him, but after a while, he could just read their body language and tempers. He knew he was humanizing them, putting more stock into emotions that weren't there. He simply couldn't help it. When you spent enough time with an animal, you learned how to read them.

His girls on the other hand, he could swear that they expressed emotion. The way that they behaved, their vocalizations, their body language was all an odd mixture of mammalian logic and the near alien mentality of birds and reptiles. But he was beginning to learn it and coming along with it was a better understanding of their personalities and quirks.

It had been months since the 'tame hack' as his father would call it. Although the raptors had never actually been uncontained during the process, the large space and perceived freedom had done wonders toward helping the animals mature as a pack. The craziest part to him was that somehow, he had become a part of that process as well.

There had of course been a few hurdles. The first few days back in the paddock had been rough. Owen had settled back into his routine easily enough, but Blue began acting more anxious and pent up than he had ever seen her. His initial guess was that she wanted to check on the territory they had marked during the outing. He figured it would wear off after a few days.

Days passed and she didn't seem to calm down. If anything, her anxiety was beginning to spread to the rest of the pack. It was making them jumpy and nervous. Barry had learned quickly to avoid entering the pen when the raptors were pacing. Dangerous growls and sharp talons had been the only thing to greet him. The last time, Delta had managed to flay the back of the man's leg. It had left a noticeable scar.

Finally, nearly a week after being returned by A.C.U., Owen stepped back into the paddock. He was prepared for the dangerous behavior that had been given to Barry. He cautiously stepped beyond the gate his hands already outstretched in a cautious warning. He called out with a soft but firm voice. A whistle would be more responsive, but a whistle meant training and training meant food. The last thing he wanted was four twitchy, anxious raptors that were expecting to be fed.

The four raptors stepped out into the paddock clearing, each animal spaced evenly apart to cover the most ground possible. Owen could feel his uneasiness forming a lump in his throat. They had recently spent a week in the field, but he was back on their territory now. Blue took another hesitant step forward, moving beyond the hunting line that had formed around Owen.

The blue streaked raptor extended her head, her eyes locked with his and she gave a few loud snorts as she tested his scent. Finally she pulled her head back and gave an inquisitive warble.

"Hey girl, it's just me."

Her head cocked to the side at the sound of his voice. Before he could react however, the large raptor had crossed the distance between him and shoved her snout forcefully into his outstretched palm.

"It's good to see you too."

The Alpha raptor crooned softly, moving from his hand and rubbing his chest and arms with her head and neck in what seemed to be an affectionate nuzzle. When she had finished, Blue backed away and gave the air several more sniffs. Finally satisfied with her work, she turned from him gave a light bark to her three sisters.

Charlie approached next, rubbing her tough hide against his arm. Delta and Echo both approached him, sniffing the air near him and greeting him with soft croons of their own. When the pack was finished, Owen could smell a faint reptilian musk clinging to his clothes. Blue and the pack had marked him.

Greeting finished, Blue had led him on a trail around the paddock wasting no time in returning to the routine they had begun to build in the research zone. When they had finished their rounds, Blue had nudged him over to where the other raptors had decided to sunbathe for the afternoon.

Owen had spent the entire afternoon sitting in the paddock, observing the raptors and simply being with them. Within the first hour Blue had collapsed into a comfortable nap, leaving him to watch her sisters and break up any squabbles that got too close to either of them with a sharp "Whoa!"

The next morning all the raptors had been calm and collected, the anxiety in the paddock finally broken.

The whole process was quickly added to the routine. Training was moved to the morning so Owen could spend the afternoon with the girls inside the paddock. Feeding time was pushed back to late evenings to help ensure that all of the cleaning and maintenance inside the paddock were completed when the raptors were least active in the afternoon sun. He may have been accepted into the pack, but he would never willingly get between any of the girls and their food.

Within a couple weeks, Charlie had finally healed enough to confidently challenge Blue for the Alpha position. He had been nearly asleep, his head resting against the paddock wall when Charlie had finally announced her challenge. Blue had met it with a confident bugle of her own, stepping up to face the large, green raptor.

The two dominant females circled each other for a time. Their heads lowered and their tails high as they each waited for their opponent's first move. Blue had moved first.

At first glance, it seemed like these competitions were deadly, but as Owen watched them butt heads and push into each other, he began to realize that there was not any purposeful bloodshed. They were competing to obtain leadership, but neither sought to injure the other purposefully. The display still ended with some flowing blood, but the scratches were superficial. Blue had won again, though the Owen could tell that the match had been far fairer than the bloodied squabble that had taken place outside the paddock.

The time he now spent with the pack was what really began to open his eyes to each individual raptor's personality and the way they behaved as a group. He could read Blue the best. She was quickly becoming a competent leader within the group. She commanded the pack naturally enough and Owen quickly realized that if he could convince her to do something, the pack would follow.

Unfortunately, she also had a rather tricky temperament. The cobalt streaked raptor was still just as short fused and stubborn now as she had been at only a week or two of age. Owen had been on the receiving end of this temper many times as she grew up and now that he was technically her Beta, he seemed to find himself the subject of her stubbornness more often than not.

Blue had spent several days convincing him to play fight with her. She had repeatedly approached him with a challenging posture that he was quick to decline or ignore. Frustrated, the raptor had finally pushed into him without a formal challenge. The 'fight' had ended quickly enough when Owen found himself pinned on his back by Alpha. He heard Barry give a worried shout from the railing, but he waved him down as best as he could with his pinned arms. She stared at him, gave him a hard snort, and lightly rammed her head into his chest, knocking the wind from his lungs.

She kept stubbornly insisting they 'play' for several days before Owen finally decided he'd had enough. Accepting her challenge, the young trainer thrown himself at the cobalt streaked raptor. He had even gone so far as to throw a punch toward the raptor's side.

Still, even as his fist made contact with her hide, Owen worried that the Alpha would take it as a real challenge or worse, a threat. She had barely noticed the impact. Choosing to simply ignore the impact of his fist, she had quickly snaked her head into his chest and shoved him to the ground pinning the human almost immediately and giving him a playful snort.

She had finally relaxed after that, accepting his effort as either good enough or as Barry had been quick to point out with a snorting laugh, she had likely accepted that he wasn't worth her time.

xxxxxxxxxx

The other raptors had begun to show him their personality as well. It was far more muted than Blue's, but it was there, and the more time Owen spent in or around the pack the easier it was becoming for him to notice it.

Charlie was the calmest and consequently the most stubborn of the Velociraptor pack. While she would spend most of her time lounging in the sun, she was always the first to question or challenge Blue. Her eyes were sharp and she watched everything, looking for any signs of weakness. The green raptor had even decided to challenge Owen himself after Blue had begun playing with him.

Blue had stepped between them lowering herself with a dangerous hiss. Charlie had backed down almost immediately giving a submissive snort. He knew that she wasn't ready to be beaten again by the alpha.

Despite this, Charlie had proven herself to be curious and accepting of Owen. She was the only raptor besides Blue who would actually greet him physically when he entered the paddock. Delta and Echo were still the most foreign to the young trainer.

They were by far the most submissive, cutting out obnoxious behavior the moment they heard his voice, but they were also the most skittish around him. When he stood above the paddock, they would shift and twitch with energy, but when he was inside the paddock, they would quickly make themselves scarce and almost never approach the handler.

He was learning very quickly that the pack was unique. And it stunned him every day to watch how the animals could go from a play, to a struggle for dominance, to an affectionate nuzzle all in the span of a few minutes.

* * *

His reflections over the events of past few months were interrupted as he rounded the corner and came into view of paddock number one. Oddly enough there were a number of cars parked alongside Barry's motorcycle. He had taken the morning off knowing specifically that they weren't expecting any visitors. When they had learned that his research was beginning to make progress, Masrani Global had begun sending overly dressed business people to the paddock for observation.

Barry had laughed for ten minutes straight when the young businessman had nearly passed out after seeing Blue pin Owen playfully. Owen was pretty sure he would be fired. Oddly enough, the notice of termination never came; instead, on an almost weekly basis, someone representing Masrani Global would join them for part of the day, watching their progress and scribbling notes.

Today however, cars out front weren't Masrani Global, and when Owen pulled up he could see the A.C.U. emblem adorning the vehicle doors. A mixture of worry and confusion settled in the trainer's stomach as he threw his car in park and stepped out of the vehicle.

As he stepped out of the vehicle he could clearly hear a commotion coming from inside the paddock. Men were yelling inside his paddock and he could just barely make out the barks and hisses of his girls between their frantic shouting.

It was enough for him to get really worried. Breaking into a sprint he rushed across the packed earth to the large enclosure. The trainer swung open the barred door and slammed it behind him with a heavy crash. Almost frantically he hit the button that would raise the gate and let him inside.

When he finally ducked inside the enclosure, what he saw made his breath catch in his throat.

Seven armed guards stood spread around his pack, keeping heavy stun rifles aimed at his girls. Four more A.C.U. guards stood on the catwalks above keeping their rifles trained on the Velociraptors.

His pack on the other hand, seemed to be holding the group at bay. Three of his girls were holding off the men with hisses and growls, snapping dangerously at anything that got too close to the group.

Their agitation was clearly visible and he could see that they were unsure about their course of action. Nervously each girl shifted their weight from side to side, and he could see their tails giving anxious twitches as their heads adjusted rapidly to focus on any movement in their field of vision.

Their behavior was odd though. They wouldn't let themselves get backed into a corner this easily. He had seen it enough times during Delta and Echo's wrestling matches. When one of the pack would back into the wall, they would dart away quickly before rounding on the competition in order to push them into the corner.

No, his girls were behaving far too defensively for this to be a normal response toward unknown threats. They we staying far too still, refusing to take the opening gaps along the wall. Before he even saw it, he knew that they were defending something.

Lowering himself, he peered through their legs and made out a distinct shape behind their nervous shifting and the dangerous tapping of their talons in the soft dirt.

One of his girls was lying still on the ground.


	11. Strain

 

"Owen!"

"Barry? What the hell is going on? What is A.C.U. doing in my paddock?"

The dark man rushed passed him on the catwalks above disappearing as he ran down the stairs. Making his own hasty entrance into the enclosure, he finally stopped next to his fellow trainer with a distinctly worried look on his face.

"I'm sorry Owen, but when I couldn't reach you, the vets insisted on calling them. The pack won't let anyone near Delta."

"Why does she need a vet? What happened?"

His friend shook his head, "I don't know. She collapsed during our morning routine. When I went down to investigate, Blue and the others wouldn't let me near her."

Owen grimaced, a thousand possibilities flashing through his head. Without turning he responded. "Go back upstairs and tell the men to on the catwalks to stand down. I'll deal with the guys down here. I'm not sure what these men are trying to do, but they are going to get themselves killed."

His friend nodded and turned to leave.

"Barry, grab the food pills. If we have to tranquilize them, we will; but we are not letting those men shoot our raptors."

With his friend taking care of things above, Owen set about clearing things up in the enclosure. Approaching the men surrounding his pack he began to lay into them.

"What the hell do you think you are doing? Do you want to get kill-" he froze mid-sentence.

Blue had noticed his approach from behind the threatening men. He watched as her stance changed almost imperceptibly. A new gleam appeared in her eye, and he immediately knew that she was prepared to hunt. With a pack mate now behind the soldiers, they were in a flanking pattern and she was prepared to fight.

He had watched his girls learn this maneuver on a recent pig hunt. It was ruthless, it was quick, and if he wasn't careful things were about to escalate quickly.

"I need everyone in this enclosure to back away from my raptors."

His voice was firm and loud. Issuing a command rather than a suggestion.

"I can handle my girls, but I need each of you to back slowly to the gate and leave the area.

"But sir?"

"No buts. If you want your men to leave this paddock safely, then I need you to do as I say right now."

"What abo-"

"I will be fine and I will take care of my girl, now back off!"

There were several nods of agreement and a couple men began to turn towar-

"Don't turn away from them! Back away slowly as a group. Never let your eyes leave the pack."

The armed men did as they were told and Owen focused on sliding to the side of the group, hoping to remove the temptation for Blue to strike. His movements were smooth and confident. He watched both his pack and the men as they continued to back further away from the danger they had walked into.

Soon enough, the men backed past the raptor trainer and Owen began to move back toward his pack, putting himself between his raptors and the men. It was only when he heard the large gate close behind him that he dared approach the pack again. His girls hadn't moved, instead they stood in a tight grouping, covering Delta as much as possible.

The look in Blue's eye made him nervous. It was distant and predatory. He approached slowly and a light growl emanated from her throat, Echoing as the other two raptors joined in.

"Easy girls."

The blue streaked raptor replied with a hissing bark as she coiled her neck back, ready to strike. Owen continued to move slowly, approaching the group of predators at a cautious but even pace. He had to pause when Blue shifted her weight and coiled her legs in.

The snap of her jaw was sudden and violent, forcing the trainer to throw himself backwards in order to avoid her teeth.

"Blue!" The snapping admonishment was singular and powerful. The cobalt raptor reeled back with a start at the sudden noise before recovering with a soft hiss.

"Eyes on me!"

She let out another hiss, he lips pulled back and jaw snapping quietly in frustration.

"Blue! Don't give me that shit!"

Owens voice was sharp, each syllable pointed and disapproving. He had never spoken to them like this, but his tone seemed to startle the raptor and she took a hesitant step back.

He responded with a step forward, extending his hand calmly toward the nervous animals, unwilling to back down, but wary of their reach.

After nearly a minute, the tension seemed to break and Blue turned, dashing into the edge of the clearing. He watched her go and saw her stop in the undergrowth to watch him. Purposely ignoring her, he turned to the other raptors who had seemed to loosen up now that Blue had retreated. Deciding to ignore them as well, the trainer knelt down before Delta's prone form.

Charlie was the first to leave the area, turning with a quiet snort. She didn't move far, but she did move far enough to give the man some space. Echo remained close to Delta, her weight shifting and her talons pawing the ground, nervously creating ruts beneath her.

Owen watched her for a minute, but it was incredibly clear that her focus was on her sister and she paid no mind to the handler kneeling on the ground. Finally confident that he wasn't going to be jumped while he worked, Owen began to examine Delta for any signs of what was wrong.

The green blotched raptor was out cold. Her breathing was shallow but steady. However, when Owen placed his hand on the side of her snout, he could tell that she was burning up with a fever. His raptors were warm blooded, but the regulatory systems within their bodies meant that they maintained a lower body temperature than most high metabolism predators.

Any time he had touched his girls, their skin had been cooler than his own. The vets had told him that he could expect his raptors to maintain a rough temperature of ninety one degrees. Delta's temperature was easily higher than his own right now and it worried the young man greatly.

"Barry."

"I'm here Owen, what do you need?"

Owen didn't look up from his examination as he began to give his raptor a thorough examination. He was by no means a vet, but he had spent enough time with his girls to pinpoint abnormalities.

"Delta is burning up. I need you to get the vets ready and tell A.C.U to prep their transport. Do not let them enter the paddock until I say so."

He heard the man grunt a reply followed by his heavy footsteps resonating on the catwalk above him.

Carefully Owen pulled Delta's head into his lap and began to examine her starting with her eyes. He softly spread her eyelids apart, exposing the raptors third eyelid. Her nictitating membrane was a recognizable trait shared by many of the predatory animals he had worked with. He held her outer eyelids gingerly and waited for the third eyelid to naturally recede. As it did so, he could see that her pupils were heavily dilated despite the noonday sun beating down on the paddock.

Letting her eyes close he moved on to her snout and jaws. Finding no abnormalities there, he carefully set her head back onto the ground and crawled over to her body. He looked her over carefully, looking for infected wounds or strange markings. When he found none, he began massaging the unconscious raptor's muscles and testing their resistance. Finally he stood back up, unsure of any other observations he could make.

For all intents and purposes, aside from the fever, she seemed to be in decent health. He was turning to call the vets in when her head began to move. Freezing Owen could only watch as Delta let out a soft creening noise, her head raising from the dirt. The movement was jagged, uncontrolled. Her head wobbled and swayed with lethargically. Her eyes opened and Owen could see her pupils, still clearly dilated.

He quickly knelt back down, taking her head on his knees. She fought him briefly, her head rising from his legs to wobble weakly in front of him as if she had no better control of her own neck. Her eyes stared blankly past him before finally closing as she rested her head back onto Owen's lap.

When she had calmed, Owen craned his neck around to find the vets awaiting his signal.

Looking back up to the catwalks, he found Barry staring worriedly down at him.

"Barry I need you to take the bucket and get each of our other girls to eat the pills. Take them to the far end of the enclosure and give them their medicine. We need to get Delta out of here as soon as possible."

With another silent nod, his friend was off, grabbing a treat bucket and hurrying to the far side of the enclosure. He heard Charlie get up and follow quickly behind. Laying Delta's head gently down, he stood up and began removing his vest. Spreading the leather out flat, he softly laid it across the raptor's snout, covering her eyes as effectively as he could.

The trainer glanced over to the nervous raptor beside him. Echo still watched her sister closely, releasing almost inaudible, mewling cries her tail swishing anxiously. Owen actually had to shoo her off towards the other end of the enclosure before she would finally leave to join her other sisters.

Barry returned a few minutes later holding his empty bucket high towards Owen. Giving a nod of approval, Owen glanced back down at the raptor laying by his feet. It was all he could do for her until her sisters succumbed to the tranquilizers.

It had been almost an hour and Owen was growing restless. Charlie was the first to fall. He almost hadn't noticed because she had already been laying on the ground about twenty feet away. Delta needed medical attention and he was stuck here until it was safe for the vets to enter. A few minutes later, Echo began showing signs of the drugs in her system. Her balance shifted unnaturally and she drunkenly stumbled to catch herself before finally deciding to sit where she had been standing.

Blue hadn't come out of the foliage, but he knew that she would be experiencing the same effects. He motioned to the vets. It was finally time.

As the gate slid open, four vets made their way briskly to the man and the prone dinosaur. Owen quickly relayed his observations about Delta to the lead vet tech. She nodded and then barked a few orders to her assistants. Owen stepped back as they got to work, performing their own battery of field tests.

Just when he was beginning to grow impatient, the party began laying out the portable stretcher beside his sick girl. When the glorified sticks and cloth had been laid out, Owen stepped in to help roll Delta onto the mat.

As they moved her onto the mat, the assistants began talking about the other dinosaurs they had the pleasure, or displeasure of moving. Owen tuned the conversation out. His thoughts were focused on the rusty colored raptor and what might be causing her ailment.

The group of vets had just picked up the raptor when Blue stumbled out into the clearing. All four vets froze when the blue streaked raptor locked eyes with them. Releasing an angry snarl, Blue started towards the group.

Without a second thought, Owen stepped between the disgruntled raptor and terrified clinicians. Holding his hand out he stood firm and let the dinosaur approach him. She was hissing quietly, her head held low and her tail straight back as a counter weight. Owen could see the predatory gleam in her eyes. Her pupils expanded and contracted quickly as she fixated on the men and women carrying her sister toward the paddock exit.

"Blue, Eyes on me."

Her focus shifted, but it wasn't because he had asked.

Now that he had her attention, he waved the vets on, hoping they would get moving, but unable to check without risking an attack from the drugged up alpha.

Her attention shifted to the group the moment they began moving again and Owen had to call out again in a stern voice, just to get her to glance at him.

Almost immediately her attention was back on the group as they hoisted Delta's stretcher back into the air.

"BLUE!" Owen's voice bellowed out, reverberating against the concrete walls.

He had her undivided attention now.

She issued a challenging bugle in response and took a stumbling step toward the trainer. Owen bit back his nervousness at the situation. Blue was behaving erratically, and he was pretty sure he had just challenged the cobalt streaked raptor. Barry had been right. He really was a crazy s.o.b.

Unable to change the situation now, he rolled his neck, stepping towards the raptor that was about to beat him senseless. It could be worth it though; if he kept her attention long enough then Delta could be safely removed and maybe the drugs would finally knock the alpha raptor out.

He took several deep breaths.

He just needed to avoid her.

Blue stumbled forward and for a second the trainer had expected the display to be finished before it began. He wasn't that lucky. The alpha raptor regained her footing and ran headlong towards the trainer.

He avoided her first lunge, stepping out of the way like a matador. Blue slid to a stop just past him, her legs giving out briefly, causing her to topple uncomfortably in the dirt and cedar bedding. She snarled in frustration.

Just as quickly as she'd gone down, the blue-streaked raptor was back on her feet and glaring at Owen. Her talons clicked the dirt dangerously and with a sharp bark she lunged at him again. This time, the crown of her head connected with Owen's shoulder and he crumpled underneath her with a cry of pain.

In that pain, Owen acted. Quickly rolling away from the raptor, he stood back up in a defensive position.

Blue turned to him and let out a roar, her weight shifting erratically. She lunged at him again, this time snapping her jaws dangerously at his limbs.

Owen's eyes widened at the increased ferocity and he ducked quickly to the side to avoid her strike. It was when he stepped aside that he saw his only opening. As her head extended passed him, he clenched his hand into a tight fist and threw the hardest punch he could muster.

His hand impacted the side of Blue's head with a sharp crack. It landed just behind her eyes and below her ears. Owen immediately felt the bones in his hand shift uncomfortably and a sharp continuing pain erupted up his right arm.

Blue staggered back, dazed by the hit and affected heavily by the tranquilizing agent pumping through her system. With a confused warble, her legs give out and she rolled forward onto the packed dirt. Darkness quickly overtook her, embracing her in comfortable sleep.

Owen however doubled over hissing in pain, gripping his right wrist angrily with his left. The man held the painful appendage tightly against his chest as he rocked erratically on his feet. He didn't know how long he stood there fighting the sharp pain and letting more than a few choice words drop from his mouth, but when he looked up, Blue was out cold and the vet clinicians were safely out of the enclosure.

With a frustrated grunt, he stood straight, his hand still clutched against his chest, and began to stiffly walk toward the gate. He sincerely hoping that when they arrived at the onsite vet clinic, someone would take the time to look at his hand.


	12. Symptoms of a Greater Problem

 

"It looks like a boxer's fracture."

Owen grimaced as a dull pain shot up his arm when the doctor poked at his swollen hand.

"You'll need to immobilize it if you want it to heal right." Dr. English pulled away from the trainer's hand. Pulling out a clipboard the doctor began writing quickly, speaking as he worked. "I'm prescribing you some medicine for the pain, the swelling should go down in a couple of days if you remember to ice it frequently, but you will need to wear a brace for the next couple months. I don't want you using this hand for anything other than the occasional signature."

"Doc, I have animals to care for. My job is already hard enough with two hands."

"Then get some help." When Owen remained silent, the doctor turned, a baleful gaze fixed onto the injured man. "Do what you have to do Mr. Grady, but if you want full use of that hand further down the road, then you will follow my instructions."

Owen swallowed nervously, breaking eye contact from the balding doctor's strong glare. Dr. English turned away with a snort. Walking to the cabinets, he pulled out a heavy looking black brace. Tearing it out of the plastic bag that contained it, he walked back to Owen and began gently fixing it to the man's wrist.

When it was done and the brace was tight, he pulled back.

"You're all done Mr. Grady. Mr. Sy please drive your co-worker home, he shouldn't be operating any vehicles with the medicine in his system."

"Will do Dr. English."

As the two trainers stood to leave, Dr. Gary English reached out and grabbed Owen's arm lightly.

"Tell me, should I be expecting a visit from whoever you did this to?"

"No sir. She's resting back at the paddock, probably going to wake up soon though."

"She?"

"The crazy bastard decided to punch one of our Velociraptors in the head."

The doctor's eyebrow shot up and he turned to the injured handler.

Owen groaned "I didn't just decide to punch her out of the blue. I need to keep her distracted from the others and she decided to play the game unfairly. I just had to keep her from hurting anybody."

"Don't let him be modest Dr. English, he saved lives today."

Owen grumbled at that, not wanting to get involved with his friends story telling. He only hoped that his actions could help save Delta.

It had taken them thirty more minutes to get Delta to the onsite vet clinic across the island. The large building was tucked away behind the ridge line that housed the park's control center. It was a central location to most of the attractions, but the roads from the research paddocks didn't go straight to the clinic. Instead it had forced them to take a longer route parallel to the island's edge.

He had helped unload Delta as best as he could, but he was limited with his quickly swelling hand. Owen and Barry had spent the next two hours assisting the veterinarians as they worked to stabilize the fevered Velociraptor. Owen had held her head down as the vets began drawing blood and taking readings. He hated how helpless he felt, but with one usable hand, all he could do was keep her head down and promise her that everything was going to be alright.

A sour pit in his stomach reminded him that he wasn't sure if he could keep that promise.

The vets eventually pushed the two trainers out the door. Delta was sedated, resting peacefully in a large indoor observation cage. They assured him that they would call him the moment that her blood work came back from the lab. He had only agreed to leave the clinic because Barry insisted that they get his hand looked at.

Another hour and a half later and the two men were walking out of Dr. English's office. Owen rubbed the heavy brace absently, trying to get accustomed to wearing it. While he checked himself out at the front desk, Barry left to pull the car around.

Owen checked his phone absently, willing one of the vets to call him and dreading it at the same time. When the SUV pulled around Owen stepped in, tapping the car door with his brace gingerly eliciting a wince from the man. They pulled out of the small parking lot and Barry turned left towards the staff apartments.

"No, turn around, we need to go check on the raptors."

"I can do that later, we need to get you home so you can rest."

"Barry, Delta is sick with something we haven't discovered yet. I can't go rest without knowing that the rest of our girls are okay. We have no idea if whatever she has is contagious or if whatever made her sick is still in the paddock."

"You're right Owen, but I don't need to drag a drugged up trainer back to the hospital because he got himself hurt again after the doctor just told him to rest."

"Barry please, I won't do anything, I just want to examine the paddock and make sure the pack is alright."

The car slowed before Barry groaned in defeat, pulling a quick U-turn.

"Fine, but you are only looking, I will handle the feeding tonight."

"Fine."

"And no going into the enclosure Owen, you can look, but I can do a thorough inspection tomorrow. The girls won't like being rounded up, but once they are away, I'll go find out if there's anything making them sick."

"Yes dad." Owen replied sarcastically before leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

* * *

It was early evening when the two trainers finally parked next to Paddock number one's outbuilding.

Owen made his way tiredly up the staircase to the paddock catwalks. Barry followed. When they reached the top, Owen took his usual place on the railing and Barry moved towards the stairs at the back of the paddock that lead to the large storage freezer and prep room.

The trainer let out a sharp yell.

"Hey!"

As the word faded on the wind, he watched the paddock. It had quickly become his pack call, and Blue knew it meant that he was looking for them. Whether she responded depended entirely on her mood, but he knew that she understood the call. Charlie and Echo plodded out of the foliage, both of them moving slowly and keeping their heads down. Their tails swayed erratically and Owen felt bad at the headache they likely had.

Tranquilizing pills were rough on the animals. Because the tranquilizer had to activate in the stomach, t had to be strong enough to resist the animal's digestive system. They were slower, but they hit harder and because of the concentrated doses, tended to last longer.

They were still a better option than the darts, at least for his girls. The darts worked faster and tended to wear off with little lasting effect to the animal, but they had their drawbacks. He and Barry both agreed that the visible aggression of firing on any of the raptors would become a wedge between the trust the two trainers had worked so hard to build.

Both raptors ignored him, instead moving to sniff the last place they had seen Delta. Charlie's heavy snorts kicked up small dust clouds she inspected the disturbed earth. The two raptors sniffed and nosed at almost every inch of ground that their sister had touched. There was no emotion to it, just the search for their missing pack mate.

When Charlie was satisfied with her investigation, her head raised to look at the man stood above her. She stared at Owen. Her eyes locked onto his and the two watched each other. Again there was no emotion as she watched the trainer, no aggression, or fear, or concern, just the hardened stare of a predator. A predator that expected him to act.

Owen found himself softly voicing apologies and promises that he would do what he could for their pack mate. He would bring Delta home.

With a soft snort and a shake of the head, Charlie turned and joined Echo who had begun sniffing at the tracks left by the vets from earlier that day.

Movement from the corner of his eye drew his attention. Blue stood several meters away, partially concealed by the foliage in the paddock. She watched him, but when he looked at her, she turned her head away and lowered her neck.

"Blue."

The blue streaked raptor turned her head back to him and took two steps out of the foliage and into the afternoon sun.

A sharp aggressive hiss escaped her throat and her stance lowered into a defensive posture. Her eyes fixed on him. Pupils dilating and contracting rapidly.

"Blue."

She ignored his words, her hiss reaching a crescendo before she turned quickly and ducked back into the shaded cover of leaves. As she left, Owen could just barely hear the soft, pained bark that she made as she retreated away from the trainer.

He continued staring into the dark foliage for several minutes. His gut churned uncomfortably at the thought of Blue's behavior. The air was still and thick, pushing in on him with muggy oppression. The final turned away with a small shake of his head. He could hear Barry coming up beside him. The echoing clank of is boots resounding throughout the paddock.

Owen needed some rest. His hand hurt, his head felt dizzy, he would have a bad bruise on his shoulder, and he didn't want to deal with whatever had just gone on below him.

"I'm going to go crash on the couch. Call me if you need me."

"I thought you wanted to check on the girls?"

"I did and they're fine."

He was not.

The injured trainer turned and walked down the stairs, making his way to the dusty couch sitting in the paddock's outbuilding.

xxxxxxxxxx

The call came early the next morning. Thirty minutes later, Owen pulled into the veterinary center parking lot, his SUV caked in island dust.

The clinician met him at the door and ushered him toward the back of the building where they had left Delta the day before. When he walked into the veterinary ward, he found the Barry had beaten him here. The dark man was talking quietly with the head veterinarian. She greeted Owen with a strong handshake when he approached.

"Mr. Grady, I don't think we had the chance to be properly introduced yet. My name is Dr. Vanessa Kirby. I am the head veterinarian for the Carnivore Ward. I am in charge of overseeing Jurassic Worlds more predatory residents."

Owen took her hand firmly. Greeting the person he hoped would help Delta recover.

"Is she doing alright?"

"Yes, Delta's condition has not worsened overnight. We have her stabilized, but her symptoms are troubling. She has only awoken once since you brought her in. She is showing now visual signs of visual stimulation and she will not eat for us."

"Well what do the lab reports say?"

The red haired veterinarian's face fell. "The reports have cleared her of any toxicity in her blood, but she is showing a very high white count. We can rule out anything poisonous, but beyond that, we just don't know yet."

"So we really don't know a thing?"

Dr. Kirby gave Owen a sympathetic look and put a hand on his shoulder. "Right now, no. I'm sorry Owen, but I just don't have enough to give you a better answer. The animals on this island are unique. These aren't just reptiles that I can compare with previous cases. We have been learning as we go here.

We've learned what sicknesses most of the herding animals are susceptible to because we've had enough of them over the years to gather the needed data, but your raptors are different. All the carnivores are. The park just doesn't have the numbers for adequate disease research to be gathered. Delta is one of only twelve Velociraptors on this island, and she's the first on record to get sick. All we can do right now is provide supportive care until her blood work comes back again."

Owen rubbed his eyes with his good hand, letting out a stressed sigh. "Can't you take a look at her genetics, and you know, at least narrow it down?"

"If we had access to them sure. But InGen won't release that information to us. We aren't even allowed to do our own blood work. All of our samples are sent to InGen's labs for analysis. I'm sorry, my hands are tied."

Another sigh escaped his lips even as an idea formed. "It's alright. If you had that information, could you narrow down the problem?"

"Well sure, though InGen has been very tight lipped about their work so I-"

"I think I may be able to help you there." Owen turned to the door, his mind racing as he began to think about what he needed to do to get his hands on the Velociraptor's genetic information. "Just take care of her! I'll be back in a couple of hours."

* * *

Dr. Henry Wu's genetics lab was as clean as he remembered it being the first time he had visited nearly a year ago. However, instead of it being almost empty as it had been the day Blue had hatched, it was currently buzzing with coated workers as they darted to and fro filling forms and checking on charts.

Stepping inside, the injured trainer pulled one of the lab assistants aside.

"Excuse me, Is Dr. Wu here? I need to speak with him."

"He's very busy, you'll need to make an appointment."

Owen rolled his eyes and pulled his park badge from the cargo pocket he kept it in. "This is important, I need to speak to him about one of his animals that has become sick."

"I'm sorry, but wouldn't that be better suited for the clinic down the road? If you want to speak with Dr. Wu, you'll need to make a-"

"This could be a result of genetic traits chosen in this lab. I'm sure Dr. Wu would want to isolate it so future animals will not suffer a similar fate." The white lie rolled off his tongue and the young lab assistant paled.

"O-of course, let me take you to him right away."

The lab worker darted away, Owen began to follow, weaving around workers and ducking under examination lamps. The assistant led him to a small open walled office at the end of the laboratory. Dr. Wu was seated with his head down, filling out some kind of report.

"E-excuse me Dr. Wu? Someone is here to see you, he says it is urgent."

The geneticist looked up and flashed a smile when he saw Owen. "To what do I owe the pleasure Mr. Grady? Thank you Ms. Reina." The young lab assistant nodded her head before rushing back into the busyness behind her.

"Dr. Wu, I need to talk to you about the genetics in my Velociraptors."

Henry's smile faded but he let the trainer continue.

"One of the girls has fallen sick. The vets are doing what they can, but they've hit a brick wall. They just don't know what my girls are made of and they can't rule anything out until the blood work comes back from the lab. Is there any way you can help me out, even to just narrow down the possibilities?"

"Take a seat Mr. Grady." Owen slipped into the chair next to him, his full attention on the genetic researcher before him. "I would love to help you, but I am not at liberty to discuss the genetic traits used in the animals at this park."

"But, it could save her life."

"And I'm sure the vets will as well, if you are just patient with them."

"She's showing neurological problems doctor."

"I'm sorry Owen. InGen does not discuss any of its trade secrets."

"But I work for you! For InGen! Surely that means something!"

"I wish it did Mr. Grady but I am simply not at liberty to discuss this topic."

Owen stood, his good hand gripping the desk tightly. "Henry, one of my girls could die! I don't even know if this is contagious! It could spread to all of them!"

Dr. Wu let out a heavy sigh. Leaning forward, he pulled a drawer out from his desk and flicked his fingers through a myriad of color coded folders. "I told you, I cannot discuss this with you. I am not at liberty to divulge InGen's secrets. That said, I do have something that may help you. It is by no means scientific, but it is something I can release to you."

"Thank you! Anything that can help."

Pulling a folder out of the filing drawer, he handed it to Owen. "This is the project portfolio detailing your pack of Velociraptors. We used this to garner the interest of Masrani Global executives and various other interested investors. It was written well before we began this experiment. I cannot confirm or deny if anything in these pages actually hold true, but they may provide some avenues of insight into what is ailing you Velociraptor."

"Thank you Dr. Wu! You may be a life saver!" Owen snatched the manila folder and flipped it open. It only had one page in it. Each Velociraptor had a paragraph vaguely detailing the benefits of their design and an artist rendering of what the proposed animal would look like. The man quickly began to scan each paragraph for any useful information but paused when he noticed something odd. "Why are there only three profiles? Where's Blue?"

"Your beta was a special project of mine Mr Grady. She is not in that list because she was not originally in the proposed experiment. She was added to the experiment at a much later date. Her file is elsewhere; and unfortunately, I am unable to discuss any more on the matter."

The trainer opened his mouth to respond but a line of text caught his eye. "I've got something! It's not much, but it's something! Thank you Dr. Wu!" Owen excitedly stood and turned from the desk.

"Anytime Owen. Stop by if you have any more questions"

The handler was already down the hall.

xxxxxxxxxx

Delta had avian genes. It was vague and so very little to go on, but it was something! Owen set the document on the front seat of the company SUV. Straining to reach the ignition with his left hand, he started the car and sat in the driver seat. He pulled out his phone and began to dial the vet clinic's number.

His phone buzzed before he could finish dialing. Barry was calling him.

"Hey Barry, I think I just found something that could help Delta."

"That's great Owen, but you need to get down to the paddock. Blue is behaving strangely and she hasn't eaten all day. She actually refused food."

"Wait, really?"

Blue had never refused food before. The blue raptor could be full to bursting and she would still scarf down a rat if it was offered to her.

"Okay Barry, I'll be there as soon as I can."

He hung up and nudged the car into drive with his right elbow. He would dial the vet on the way to the paddock.

He pulled up to the paddock and slammed the car into park, a trail of dust billowing past the stationary vehicle. He threw the door open and rushed over to the stairs. Flying up the stairs he found Barry leaning against the catwalk railing with a pair of binoculars in his hands and a frown on his face.

"What is she doing? Where is she?"

"She's sitting right now. She's tucked into the leaves pretty good, but you can see her if you look close enough. She's just sitting there staring." Barry lowered the binoculars and handed them over to the injured trainer.

Taking them from his friend, he pulled them up to his face. At first, all he could see were leaves and shadows. He began to scan the area for anything shaped more like an animal.

It took him some time, but he finally spotted her. The cobalt reflected dimly in the shaded area, but she was there, tucked in her own little nest of dried leaves and dirt. At first glance, she appeared to be fine, he could see her back well enough and her breathing seemed stable.

Then his eyes drifted to her head and neck. The raptor's neck was coiled back on itself, tucking her head close to her body, like she sometimes did when she slept. He head though wasn't tucked against her back. It sat pointed straight up at the sky, her mouth slightly agape. He watched as Blue's snout would tremble occasionally and her neck would wobble as if it couldn't support the weight. Her head however remained straight up.

She was stargazing.

The symptoms suddenly clicked in his mind.

He knew what was going on.


	13. Waiting

 

Torticollis. Also known as Acute Cerebellar Ataxia. The vets had used the terms interchangeably but Owen recognized the symptom by its more common name 'Star-gazing'. It was a symptom that he had dealt with before. Rarely, a falconry bird would show signs of it, usually because they had given themselves head trauma while hunting. The birds would find themselves unable to control the muscles in their neck or head, giving them shaky movements and a loss of control that would sometimes leave the animal with their head pointed straight at the sky. If given good care, the birds would usually recover in a week or two.

It wasn't head trauma that worried the trainer though. Outside of that he had seen it in one other situation. West Nile Virus. The virus had flourished throughout the southern United States, wreaking havoc on birds throughout the country. Transmitted through mosquitoes, the virus spread rapidly among birds but rarely spread beyond avian species. The symptoms were diverse and because they didn't always express themselves, it made the virus difficult to pinpoint.

The virus itself could be brutal, He had never dealt with it personally, but his father had, and he knew that in birds of prey, the virus worked quickly and usually with lethal precision.

Now Delta had it, and likely Blue as well. That thought terrified him. The document that Dr. Wu had been very vague, but it had explained InGen's intent to use avian genetics in order to "return to reality in the hopes of providing a thrill that the world hadn't seen in 75 million years." It wasn't proof that avian genetics had been used, but susceptibility to a virus that didn't normally affect reptiles was a pretty solid lead. He couldn't be certain but more blood work would answer that question. Regardless of their genetic makeup, Owen had something to work with, now he could focus on getting them better.

It took the two trainers an hour to sedate the three raptors in the paddock. Charlie and Echo were easy. Blue on the other hand was showing no interest in food. Her behavior was erratic, she would stare into space, ignoring everything around her, and then out of nowhere, she would seem to recover, gaining enough clarity to follow her instincts. Instincts that told her to lash out against her pain. And she would. Her taloned feet and forearms would kick and flail at anything nearby. Then she would grow still and resume her staring contest with the sky.

Owen and Barry had finally pinned her down during one of her calm periods and Barry had to inject one of the sedatives directly. Once all three raptors were safely unconscious, Owen insisted that each one be brought to the clinic for observation. There were infected mosquitoes near the paddock and he didn't feel like risking any more healthy raptors.

When all three sedated dinosaurs were safely loaded, the small convoy of park vehicles set off to the clinic once more. Dusk had settled by the time his pack was unloaded. At Owen's request Charlie and Echo were placed in large recovery paddock for observation. Blue on the other hand was quickly transported to the Carnivore Ward. The A.C.U. truck carrying the cobalt streaked raptor backed up to the large bay doors meant to handle much larger patients.

As Owen hopped out of the vehicle he was surprised to see Dr. Kirby waiting for them in the bay doors. She personally helped the team unload the raptor and get her placed comfortably in the observation cage next to Delta's cage. Owen stepped back and let the veterinarians work. The quickly began to draw blood, record data and begin getting Blue set up with fluids.

Both of his girls were laying comfortably in the large cages their necks and tails curled into a tight sleeping position. The almost looked healthy. Only a few slight tremors coming from Delta's leg and the slight twitches rippling through Blue's neck gave their ailment away.

He barely noticed when Barry put a strong hand on his shoulder, promising to return shortly with some dinner with them both. He had grunted a reply without breaking his concentration on the two raptors before him.

It was nearly thirty minutes later when the vets had finished giving his girl the battery of tests and supportive care. Owen had watched it all, his mind unfocused as he tried to process everything that was going on.

"The lab results came back."

He glanced over to find Dr. Kirby leaning against the wall next to him. Giving her a small smile he turned his head back to watch his girls. "West Nile right?"

"With Delta, yes. The other one's blood work should be back by morning but based on the symptoms, West Nile is the likely culprit."

"Her name is Blue."

"Well Blue is lucky to have attentive trainers. You may have caught it at an early enough stage for her to recover. West Nile isn't always so forgiving."

"I know, my father lost a falconry bird to it a few years ago."

"Then you know that there's not much we can do right."

Owen nodded silently. There was no cure for West Nile. It was a virus that needed to run its course before the animal could recover. Survival was only determined by the strength of the animal and in birds of prey, few ever would.

Sensing his diminishing mood, Dr. Kirby put a hand on Owen's shoulder giving him a comforting smile. "They're going to be alright Owen. They are getting plenty of fluids and the rest will help them. We're treating their symptoms to ensure they don't worsen. If any animal can survive it'll be your Velociraptors."

Owen let out a breath, trying to force himself to think brighter thoughts. "You're right, they're tough girls."

The red headed vet let go of his shoulder and leaned back against the wall next to him with frustrated sigh. "I just wish we knew more about these animals. Every year, this park adds a new attraction with new animals, but we don't know anything about them. We're just flying blind, hoping to learn quick enough to keep these animals alive when something goes wrong.

I don't even want to think of the day that you keepers bring in that Tyrannosaurus Rex. She could come down with asper and we might not catch it until it kills her. We just don't know enough about these animals. I wouldn't even have guessed that raptors were susceptible to West Nile before today! Damn InGen and their policies! They know these are living creatures, but their genetic makeup is a more important secret than the life of the animals hey create!" Her voice raised to a crescendo as she finished with a heavy breath.

Owen fixed the passionate Dr. With an amused grin. Remembering something, he fished the tightly folded document and handed it to the doctor. "Here, this is what I got from InGen, it's not much but it did help me connect the dots. Maybe it can help you."

She took the document from him and skimmed it quickly.

"Interesting. You're right, it's not much, but it may answer a little bit about your girls." She held the paper in front of him, pointing to a particular paragraph detailing the raptor that would be Charlie. "See it says here that they used Iguana genes with this one. If this is accurate to one of your other Velociraptors, then it could stand to reason that this one would be unaffected by West Nile."

She let out another frustrated groan. "This is exactly my point. We know nothing about the animals we care for! If InGen is using such varied genetics for individual animals, who knows what each individual might be extremely susceptible to! That's it, I'm going to write those bastards a letter! I can't believe I am getting more useful information from a damned investment brochure than from their own lips!"

Owen let out a small laugh at the clinician's frustrated rant. She flipped around, turning a dangerous eye on the young trainer. He shut up. Her eyes gave a twinkle and a smile appeared on her lips. "Good, I got a smile out of you!" At Owen's questioning look she gave him a loose shrug. "Look it's obvious that you're not going to go home tonight, so I can't have you moping around my ward. If I can't get you to leave then I gotta cheer you up." Her face dropped into a serious look. "I'm serious about what I said though. What InGen is doing is complete bullshit.

Look, your girls are stable for the night. If West Nile behaves in them the way it does in most birds, if it doesn't kill them in two or three days, then they will recover. You are welcome to stay and watch them if you would like. There is a couch and a small cot in the break room that you can crash on. I already laid some blankets out."

"Wait, when did you know I was going to stay?"

"The moment you brought Delta in. You're not the first worried handler to come in with their charges. I was honestly surprised when you didn't return with your friend last night."

"Barry came back here last night?"

"Yep. He did the exact same thing you were doing earlier. Watched Delta most of the night I believe. Anyway, I'm going to get some dinner and head home. My vet tech will be in here off and on tonight, so talk to her if you need anything. If it's an emergency, my number is on the whiteboard."

Barry returned about twenty minutes later, two to-go boxes from Winston's Steakhouse. The two men ate quietly, their eyes more on the sleeping raptors than on the food they were eating.

The night drug on, neither of them sleeping, both watching their girls. They would get up and assist the vet tech who came in every hour or so, but he never stayed long, only long enough to replace fluid drips and check the raptor's vitals.

Occasionally one of the raptors would stir. Blue's head would shudder and move without her control. She would vocalize weakly, giving pained purrls and calling quietly to her pack for help. Owen would always be right there speaking to her softly, promising that she would get better. Barry would do the same for Delta, whispering softly to her through the cage bars. Telling her what a strong girl she was, how she was going to make it through this pain.

The raptors probably didn't hear them, but both men liked to believe that the soft noises and caring tones would translate. Their human pack was with them. If nothing else, the words helped break the silence of the room and keep the two trainer's anxiety from building too high.

Owen itched absently at the uncomfortable brace he was wearing. He didn't know what time it was, but Barry had turned in a little while ago. The two men had talked about what they could do. Both of them had talked about sitting in the cages with the raptors, hoping that a soothing touch would help them fight through the virus. It was an almost instinctive desire. But it was a stupid one as well, they both agreed on that. Blue had driven the point home when she had woken up thrashing and flailing, claws and talons moving in every direction.

They had helped the vet tech replace the severed fluid drip a few minutes later and had agreed that vocal support and physical presence was the better alternative.

* * *

The following day had been exhausting. Both he and Barry had left the clinic when Dr. Kirby arrived. She had insisted, barring the men from the clinic until they had taken showers and generally cleaned themselves up.

Instead, they had made their way back to the paddock, hoping to figure out where the mosquitoes were coming from in the first place. It seemed like a dumb question at first, they were on a tropical island near the equator. Mosquitoes were everywhere. But the two men had quickly learned that was not the case. Research Paddock Number One sat on the Island's edge between the Research Zone and the Park Proper.

It was the ocean breeze that kept the ever present mosquitoes away. So it had surprised Owen when he found his girls had succumbed to a mosquito carried disease. Neither men were going to let it happen again.

They scoured every inch of the paddock, pushing through the densest brush and leaving nothing un-turned or un-searched. By the time they were finished, both were exhausted, dripping in sweat and covered in dirt and grime. But they had successfully found three possible breeding spots for mosquitoes. They would grab some dirt and fill the mud pits in before the girls moved back in. If the girls moved back in.

Owen's hand throbbed in the brace. He had used it far too much today, and it was swelling again. Idly he rubbed it as he watched the two raptors below him. He had stopped by his apartment and cleaned up. He felt a little refreshed, but he was exhausted. He leaned against the window that overlooked the small observation paddock.

Echo and Charlie sat below him. Both girls appeared to be doing fine. Their appetites were good and they showed no other symptoms of the virus. Right now they were sitting together in the sunny part of the small enclosure. The green raptor sat tightly against Echo, laying her neck across the rusty colored raptor's back.

Echo was busy sniffing through the short grass in front of her. Both raptors seemed content and healthy. Owen only wished that it was all four of his girls that he was watching.

"Their blood work came back clean."

Owen jumped at the voice, his heart racing in surprise. He turned to the red-headed vet with a scowl, clutching his chest with his good hand.

"Sorry about that. I thought you would like to know that they are healthy as horses. Big scaly, dangerous horses."

His heart slowing back down, the trainer let out a cough. "That's great but couldn't you have just told me?"

"I did."

Owen muttered something inaudible before turning from the window and walking back toward the Carnivore Ward with Dr. Kirby in tow.

"I'm surprised you haven't been attacked by your girls. You jumped like a scared bunny!"

"I'm not usually this tired when I work with my girls."

"Exactly my point Mr. Grady, go get some rest. It won't do you well to be so timid around your girls when the recover."

"I'll keep that in mind doctor. How are Delta and Blue doing today?"

"About the same I'm afraid. We got Blue to eat a few bites today, but she'll need to get past this soon. Your girls have very quick metabolisms, even at rest, she won't be able to survive on tidbits and fluid drips for long."

"They'll get through it. They have to."

"And so do you Owen. Please get some rest tonight, I don't want to find you asleep on my floor again. At least your friend had some sense to retire to the couch I offered."

"Yes ma'am."

Having said her peace, Dr. Kirby waved the young man good night, leaving him to watch his girls as he had the night before. Owen let out another sigh that became a yawn and walked towards the ward containing Blue and Delta. It was going to be another long night.

xxxxxxxxxx

Dr. Kirby was going to be pissed. He had intended to follow her advice, to leave, but he had gotten lost in his thoughts. By the time he realized he was falling asleep, it was too late and his exhaustion too strong.

It wasn't Dr. Kirby's shoe that woke him up though. The hot air blew heavily across his face bringing with it the lingering odor of warm meat. Owen awoke with a cough, his gag reflex triggering. He pushed himself off the floor, wincing in pain as he used his injured hand. He looked up, his tired mind trying to find the foul smell.

His eyes adjusted quickly enough and he saw Blue's eye glimmering faintly, reflecting the light from the hallway. She was watching him. Sitting up straight, her movements subtle but controlled.


	14. Recovery

 

The blue streaked raptor snorted heavily, her warm breath reaching the man through the bars of her cage. Owen froze, his tired mind screaming to run from the predator before him. The trainer pushed those thoughts away, letting the rational parts of his mind awaken. She wouldn't hurt him. She could hurt him, but not right now. Right now she could only watch him.

She was awake and alert!

The trainer stood suddenly at the realization, fumbling against the wall for the light switch. With a faint click, fluorescent lights bathed the room in a cold, clinical light. Blue was watching him, her eyes focused exclusively on the trainer.

Owen let out a small, relieved sigh, sinking back to his knees in front of the conscious raptor. His girl had pulled through the worst of it. She was with them again; she would recover from this. His heart flooded with elation at the thought, and he found himself speaking quietly to the animal before him. Blue responded to his whispers with soft purrls and mewling whines. Her neck extended until her head reached the wall that separated them. Lowering her snout, the raptor gently pushed the top of her head against the metal bars.

She wanted contact. Owen had seen this plenty of times in the paddock, the motion being used by all four raptors to request contact, physical assurance that the pack still accepted them. Echo had used it plenty of times on Blue, usually after the two had quarreled. Echo would lower her snout and brush it against the alpha until she was received.

A sharp whine escaped the alpha raptor's mouth as she pushed harder against the bars that separated them. Tentatively, the trainer brought his good hand to the bars, hesitating only a second before he slid his hand through. Her head shivered lightly at his touch but didn't move.

Owen let his fingers slide against her scaled hide, feeling the ridges as he drew his hand across the top of her skull. She felt warm, warmer than usual, but not as hot as Delta was when they found her. A soft purrling escaped Blue's throat as Owen touched her head. The trainer absently brushed his hands across her eye ridges but never strayed from the top of her head. She suddenly pushed harder against the bars and Owen instinctively withdrew his arm.

Blue let out a frustrated whine, pulling her head back to give the human a look. When he didn't respond, she let out a soft growl, pushing her head roughly against the bars once more causing her neck to arch up as she tried to push through the constraining cage. When the trainer's hand touched her head again the raptor's growl faded back into a whine, but she still pushed against the bars, her neck trembling at the exertion.

She wasn't going to stop, Owen knew it. Pulling his hand away once more, the man gripped the bars and pulled himself into a standing position. He took a moment to stretch his tired muscles before moving to the door of the cage. Blue pulled her head back and watching him intently, the whine returning as he stepped away from the prone raptor.

Grabbing the latch that kept the door closed, he paused. What he was doing was stupid. He knew it, and he knew the risk he was about to take. He also knew that Blue needed her pack, and while he couldn't take her to Charlie and Echo, he could at least keep her from knocking herself unconscious against the cage walls.

Glancing at the hallway door, he took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the cage. Blue was the only one watching him as she lay prone in the cage, her amber eyes fixed on his every move. Saying one more silent prayer, He unlatched the lock, pulled the door open and slipped inside with one fluid motion.

Blue didn't react. Her eyes never left him, but she never tried to move. She was laying prone but her head was raised in an attempt to match his height. Owen quickly latched the door tight again and stepped carefully over to the blue streaked raptor. He watched her intently, approaching his girl with caution born from years of handling experience.

The trainer stopped just out of her reach. Never taking his eyes off her, he put his back to the bars and let himself slide to the floor. He wasn't going to put himself any closer than he already was. Just being in the recovery cage with her was a grave risk. If she wanted contact with him, she would have to make the move herself; he would not invade her space more than he already had.

The raptor's whine had died out when he entered the cage, but it returned when Owen stopped out of reach. Blue watched him for a few seconds before letting out a snort. Looking down, she shifted her weight, finding her feet beneath her.

When she tried to stand however, she only raised a few inches before her legs began to tremble from the effort. The blue streaked raptor let out a surprised bark when they gave out and she sunk back to the floor.

With a grunt of effort she tried again, getting no further than she had the time before. Her surprised barks raised in pitch and a panicked whine escaped her throat as she tried again.

"Easy girl. Easy."

His tone was soft but firm enough to make the raptor look at him.

"Easy, you've been sick. You still need to rest. Just take it easy. You'll be on your feet in no time."

Blue let out a frustrated snort, trying to stand again and failing once more. She was breathing heavily from the continued exertion, her mouth hung open in a tired pant; but finally, the tired raptor shifted again, abandoning her effort to stand. Instead, Owen was surprised to see her roll onto her side towards him as her neck stretched out to the trainer. Her snout finally came to rest inches from Owen's side. Her head lay on the cool cement floor, one eye looking at him and a frustrated whine escaped her throat once more.

It was enough for him, taking the risk Owen stood once more, causing Blue to raise her head and follow his movements with her piercing gaze. He slid along the barred wall until he was next to the raptor and let himself slide back down into a comfortable position on the ground. As soon as he settled, a large reptilian head snaked in front of him, one large amber eye watching his face.

With another humid snort, Blue pushed her head and neck into his chest, rubbing her hide against his shirt and releasing a contented purrl. He let her nuzzle him until she was content. When she was finished, the raptor pulled her head back and gave him a soft warble, approving of his new matching scent. She laid her head down next to his side, the top of her head pushed against his leg.

Cautiously, he reached down and ran his fingers across her neck, causing her skin to shiver again at the touch. Her eyes closed a few minutes later and began to sleep, her head and neck tucked firmly against the trainer. Owen watched the predator nestled against him. He sat there for some time whispering to her and running his hand lightly across the raptor's neck, his own eyes growing heavier as he spoke.

It was quite the sight for someone to walk in on. The opening door woke Blue. It was the startled shriek and the clatter of plastic on tile that woke Owen. When his eyes snapped open, grey-blue scales filled his vision and a sharp hiss echoed in his right ear. Turing his head, he saw that Blue had snaked her neck in front of him and was now glaring at whoever had disturbed them.

"M- Mr. Grady? Are you okay?"

The trainer craned his neck around even further and raised his braced hand in a wave toward the stunned vet tech.

"I'm alright. Just checking on my girl, that's all." He could see the technician out of the corner of his eye. The lanky man in blue scrubs stood frozen in the doorway.

"But you're in the cage. W-with it." The young man still sounded frightened, his voice a shrill octave that explained the shriek that had awoken Owen.

"Only because she knows me. Raptors are pack hunters. They don't do well when they are alone." Owen pushed Blue's neck away and carefully stood. Blue paid him no mind, her focus completely centered on the frightened vet tech. "Look, Blue here hasn't eaten in over a day. Can I ask you to go fetch some food for her?"

The lanky technician gave a quick nod before practically bolting from the room, leaving the tray he had dropped and its contents scattered all over the tile floor. With a long sigh. The man unlatched the gate and stepped out of the cage.

Blue turned to watch him now that the terrified intern was gone, tilting her head as the man stretched his stiff arms and legs. When he felt more comfortable and a little more awake, Owen stepped over to the dropped tray and cleaned up the mess, quickly piling the contents onto the nearby counter. Grabbing two saline bags from the pile, he turned back to his raptor. He pulled the old one off of its hanger outside the cage and began to replace it.

Blue watched with mild interest as he worked. Her snout eventually followed the line from the drip bag into the cage where it was slowly dripping fluids into her hind leg. She craned her neck around and gave the I.V. a tentative sniff.

"Blue."

Her head whipped back around at the noise.

"Eyes on me."

The raptor locked eyes on him and he continued to work. She would probably tear the drip out of her leg at some point, but if he could delay it, that would be better. She needed the fluids. Finally finishing with her, the trainer moved over to the cage next to Blue's.

Delta looked no better than she had in the past two days. The green tinted raptor was laying sprawled on her side taking deep breaths. The muscles that ran along her neck and legs twitched and shivered every so often, sending ripples of movement down her limp body. She made no noise and no other movement. Owen watched her for a few more seconds, worry rising tightly in his throat.

Finally, he tore his gaze from the raptor and quickly replaced her saline bag. Blue watched him the whole time. A questioning warble echoed through the Carnivore Ward. The solid wall that separated each cage meant she couldn't see Delta, but he knew that she could probably smell her sister.

It was almost fifteen minutes later when the skittish vet returned with food. The lanky kid had a large bucket of recently thawed meat. Owen took it from him with a kind thank you, offering the tech his help with anything that may need to be done. The tech shook his head vigorously and backed away from the entrance to the ward before turning and leaving without another word.

The moment Owen disturbed the bucket of meat with his hand, Blue began watching him with uncomfortable interest. Setting the bucked down, the trainer grabbed a cut of meat with his good hand. Blue's pupils contracted and expanded rapidly as she focused on the bloody chunk in his hand. She pressed her snout into the bars, trying to stick her muzzle through with loud hungry snorts.

"Eyes on me."

Her focus shifted to his face instantly, but a low growl escaped, and her lips pulled back to show her teeth. She was hungry and Owen was glad he was no longer with her in the cage. Giving her a soft click with his tongue, he tossed the meat through the bars. It never touched the ground. Snaking her neck back she caught the chunk in her mouth, swallowing it loudly with a frightening snap. Her eyes were back on him before he could even pull another piece out of the bucket.

She ate voraciously; scarfing down every bite of meat almost violently. Owen worked quietly but firmly. He never raised his voice to her, but he never backed down either. She would look to him with slivered pupils and address him with a hungry growl. He would wait for the right time before tossing her a bite. He obviously had her attention, but he needed her cooperation, especially in this enclosed space. Only when her growl faded and her posture began to soften did he toss another piece of meat.

Owen only had a couple pieces left in the bucket when Blue finally slowed down and lost interest in the food. She turned her head, sniffing the I.V. drip again before snorting and shaking her head. Her attention snapped back to Owen and she whined at him when the handler moved out of the room.

After he dropped the bucket off in the sink and washed the gore off of his good hand, Owen returned to his girl. There were no windows in the Carnivore Ward, but the clock told him that it was a little past five in the morning. He took a seat across from the streaked raptor and she whined, rubbing her head and neck against the bars. She wanted to be closer to him and when he didn't respond she let out a soft hiss, her nostrils flaring slightly as she still smelled the blood in the room. She tried again. Owen continued to ignore her.

That was the nature of an imprint.

She would be fiercely close to her handler, loyal to her pack. But instinct was stronger and it would drive her. Somewhere deep inside, it pained him to see her beg for contact, but underneath the begging pleas, he could see the feral glimmer brought on by the scent of blood.

She gave up and quickly fell asleep not long after that. She was full and content, it was time to rest. She gave one more soft whine before she let sleep take her and she pressed her blue streaked neck and head tightly against the bars, as close as she could physically get to Owen.

* * *

"I better not lose my intern because of you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare him."

Dr. Kirby's eyebrow raised but she kept her arms crossed. The clinic had been peacefully quiet until nine in the morning. She had walked in minutes ago, fixed her eyes on the trainer, and proceeded to chew him out. "But you did mean to climb into a small cage with a sick, potentially violent predator?"

Owen looked away, unable to keep eye contact with the angry veterinarian. His silence answered her question.

"Owen, what the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that she's a pack animal calling out for her pack. I would have been stupid not to answer her." He finally responded, pointing to the sleeping Velociraptor.

"You're not a Velociraptor Owen. What would have happened if she realized you weren't one of her sisters? She could have killed you!"

"Vanessa, she was completely lucid, and she wasn't going to hurt me. I'm part of her pack. She imprinted on me when she hatched. I was perfectly safe. Ish."

The vet rubbed her temples tiredly. "This is the sort of information I could have used when you first arrived. Is there anything else you would like to share about your raptors Mr. Grady? Are the rest of them imprinted as well?"

Owen shook his head no, "Why would Blue's imprinting be important?"

"Similar to most animals, the dinosaurs on this island rarely show pain. The best way we can determine their health is by their behaviors. As I'm sure you are aware, imprinting an animal affects their temperament. Knowing that Blue is an imprint will help me judge her temperament more effectively rather than trying to compare her to the rest of your pack." She paused. "Do the other raptors accept you in the pack or is it just Blue?" She asked, the edge in her voice slipping away, replaced by curiosity.

"Sort of. I guess. They don't mind me being around them and Charlie will come up to greet me on occasion. The others just give me space, though I think it's more because of Blue's alpha position than anything else." Dr. Kirby nodded thoughtfully as he finished.

"And you're not worried that they'll turn on you?"

Owen looked down, chewing his lip thoughtfully. "I worry about it every day. I know they'll turn on me one day. One day, the opportunity will be too good pass up. Hell, Blue has already gotten me once when my back was turned. It'll happen again someday."

"And yet you still willingly climb into a cage with them despite the fact you can't control them."

"Absolutely, I work to fill a role in their lives. If the pack has a need, I'll answer it. If there's a threat, I'll remove it. I will never control them Dr. Kirby, but I can earn their trust."

"Do you trust them?"

"Hell no."

The veterinarian nodded slowly, processing the handler's words. "Remind me to introduce you to the other carnivore trainers sometime. I think you all would get along quite nicely." She raised her hand in a flippant wave, tossing the subject aside. "Regardless, don't ever do that again in my ward Mr. Grady. I need my interns to be willing to stay for more than a couple days. What I do not need is another handler injured while inside my clinic. Dr. Harding over in the Herbivore Wing would never let me live it down, the old bastard."

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

She accepted his promise with a nod. "I'll hold you to it Mr. Grady. Now fill me in, on what happened. Don't leave any details out.

He nodded, starting from when he woke up hours ago.

* * *

Delta began to show signs of recovery two days later. Barry was there when she finally woke up. Her cries had been pitiful and mewling but she was responding to visual stimulus and the tremors running throughout her body subsided.

Owen had been helping transfer Blue to a small recovery paddock built behind the Clinic. Barry told him that Delta's cries were heart wrenching. The raptor struggled to move, but her body simply wouldn't let her. She had worn herself to exhaustion after only a minute. Her whimpering cries aimed at the only person in the room with her.

The poor girl was dangerously thin. She hadn't properly eaten in days. The small pieces of food that Owen and Barry had managed to force feed her simply wasn't enough to sustain her high metabolism, especially as her body worked to fight the virus. By the time she had woken up, her body had burned through its fat reserves and it was obvious to the two men that her muscles had been affected.

Barry hadn't left her side for more than an hour since the velociraptor had woken up. He hand fed her scraps of meat which the immobilized predator inhaled with a vigor. She spent the next day sleeping or eating from Barry's patient hand.

It was two more days before Delta was able to shakily stand. When she was finally able to eat on her own, she was transferred to the recovery paddock that housed Blue. The greetings they had given each other were enthusiastic if subdued. Neither raptor had recovered the energy yet to do more than walk from one end of the paddock to the next.

Everyone agreed that they would wait until the two had fully recovered before they reintroduced the whole pack together.


	15. Posturing

 

"Ho!"

The call rang through the paddock, echoing flatly on the cement walls.

"Don't give me that shit, Delta. Not again."

Owen stood in the paddock clearing, hands outstretched in a firm "back down" command toward the green raptor.

Delta stared back at him, sharp teeth glinting in the sun as her lips pulled back into a predatory sneer. The raptor barked a challenging call to him, her tail twitching in agitation. She wanted a challenge, and today, she seemed hell bent on getting it.

The pale green raptor wasn't the same inquisitive raptor that Owen had worked with for just over a year. She hadn't quite been the same since her bout with West Nile. She was more aggressive, less patient with her sisters, and since she had been reintroduced, there was barely a day where she didn't challenge someone's authority.

Today she had chosen to pick a fight with the alpha. She decided it was time to challenge Owen. Things had changed in the two months since the vets cleared his girls. The biggest change was Blue's decision to cede her position to Owen. Almost overnight, Blue had decided that Owen was the Alpha. The weeks that the blue streaked raptor had spent recovering had been spent almost exclusively with the trainer.

Dr. Kirby had pulled him aside one morning to giving him a warning. She explained that because West Nile was a virus that attacked the neural pathways, it had a tendency to cause prolonged symptoms that may never fully recover. Both Blue and Delta could have medical problems that would follow them for the rest of their lives. Barry and Owen had discussed this eventuality at length, ultimately deciding to split their efforts in the hopes of helping their girls recover.

Owen had spent almost all of his time with Blue, providing her with physical therapy and patient conditioning in order to rebuild her physical prowess. Barry had spent his time with Delta, helping her return to her former glory.

The results were varied.

Blue recovered very well, showing almost no residual symptoms of the disease. Additionally, the time spent with Owen had brought her closer to him. The blue streaked raptor, rarely left Owen's side when he was in the paddock, and tended to follow him anytime he was walking the catwalks. When she had been reintroduced to the pack, she had almost immediately and very visually submitted to Owen in front of Charlie and Echo.

Barry on the other hand, had been a miracle worker with Delta. The green tinged raptor was ravaged by the virus. It had taken her nearly two months of constant work to rebuild the raptor's atrophied muscles. Barry worked tirelessly with a near insurmountable patience as he conditioned the recovering raptor despite her aggression toward anyone around her. Still, even with his constant effort and confident demeanor, Delta hadn't come out of the sickness unscathed. The virus had affected her, making the raptor unreadable on good days and downright dangerous on bad days.

Barry had even gathered his own set of scars from Delta's growing temper. Her behavior was so different from her old personality that the men had consulted Dr. Kirby on the matter. The conclusion that she came up with was concerning. She believed that the Delta's avian genetics had made her more susceptible to the virus. This weakness allowed it to sink itself deeper into the Velociraptor's nervous system, affecting her behaviors and demeanor.

When Delta had been reintroduced to the pack nine days ago, the other raptors had welcomed her with excited barks, purrls, and scent marking. The family group was whole again, allowing for even Delta to relax with her sisters. She was showing progress, mellowing back into her curious, playful self.

This improvement lasted until she saw that Blue no longer defended herself as the alpha. It had been Owen's first day in the paddock since they had reintroduced Delta with her sisters. He had walked casually into the clearing, still cautiously aware, but enjoying a good day that had stemmed from a good training session earlier that day. It wasn't much, but it was progress.

Blue greeted him the moment he stepped foot into the enclosure. She greeted him with a soft bark that rolled into warm purrls as she began to rub her head and neck against the man's clothing. When he smelled sufficiently of sweat and musk and dirt, her nostrils flared and she followed him on a trek around the paddock as he inspected the walls for damage or debris.

Everything had been going well. They followed a routine that had been reinforced over the past year. Greet each other, check the perimeter, relax in the afternoon sun. Charlie had even joined them, snorting loudly at Owen as she took in his pack scent. When they had finished checking the paddock walls, they returned to the clearing and Charlie found a sunny spot to sprawl out and take a nap.

Echo approached the group curiously, giving Owen a sniff before giving him space and deciding to frustrate her dozing sister by nipping at her tail and ducking out of reach when Charlie had finally had enough. Blue took up a spot next to the handler as he let himself lean against the paddock wall comfortably. His hand still itched occasionally from the fractures, and his grip felt weaker than before, but he was just happy to be out of the brace and back into the daily routine they had built.

The lazy afternoon changed the moment Blue had laid onto her side, closing her eyes and exposing her belly to the trainer.

Delta was on top of the blue streaked raptor in an instant.

A wild hiss escaped the pile as the two writhing animals fought violently. With several frenzied barks, Blue dug her talons into Delta's underside and kicked hard, throwing the attacking raptor off of her. She stood with a dangerous hiss and before Delta could respond, Blue was on top of her. The fight lasted less than a minute, Blue pinning the green raptor to the dirt, her killing talon resting heavily on the dinosaur's throat. Delta had submitted, limping away with a sullen whimper.

She had attacked Echo next, the rust colored raptor submitting without a fight.

The trainers expected a fight between Delta and Charlie any day. It never came, and honestly that worried Owen even more. The pack could deal with an aggressive member, Blue would either put her in her place, or Delta would eventually take Blue's position. What worried Owen was Delta's unpredictable actions.

The green raptor would ignore the provocations of her sisters, but she would leap into a violent, screeching fit if Charlie nuzzled her the wrong way.

He could only assume it was the residual effects of the virus.

Now she was focusing her rage on him. Her amber eyes glinted in the afternoon light, her rounded pupils focused dangerously on him as she moved to the side, hoping to circle around the trainer.

Owen kept his hands locked out in a clear statement. She needed to back off. Whenever she would step forward, he would let out a roaring "Ho!" He matched her circling pace, making a wide slow circle around the clearing.

Delta's tail twitched and her muscles tensed. She wanted to fight, she wanted to hunt. The agitated raptor unleashed several calling barks, encouraging the pack to hunt with her. To hunt Owen, with her.

"Stand down!" Owen growled immediately not taking her eyes off Delta

None of the other raptors moved.

Somewhere deep inside Owen, he was proud of that. He calmly circled around, still matching Delta's movements with his own. The paddock settling into an uneasy silence.

"Owen!" Barry's call was loud. His tone warning the trainer of something. Owen's attention shifted just slightly and he saw a flash of movement. He had let Echo circle him until the Charlie and Echo stood behind him. He could just see Echo in the corner of his eye. The youngest raptor twitching, her large killing talons digging ruts into the dirt.

"Barry, Get that door open for me." He heard Barry's boots on the catwalk grating. He would come.

His attention now split, the trainer held his ground, reaching behind him and drawing the short knife from his belt. He had dug himself deep this time. He had let his girls get an advantage on him. Owen took a deep breath, steadying himself, pushing his nerves away so that he could focus on the fight ahead.

Echo stepped forward.

His hand shot out to show her his palm and his eyes locked with the rusty colored raptor. "Stand Down!" Her taloned foot returned to its original position, her head cocking slightly to the side.

He'd left his side open.

He heard the shriek even as he moved. Delta lunged through the space he had just thrown himself from. He landed hard on his tailbone, the wind forcefully leaving his lungs. The trainer pushed the rest of his momentum into a sloppy roll backwards that left him on his knees, sucking in air with pained gasps.

He got shakily to his feet and looked up in time to see Delta turn back to him. Her eyes were wide, her pupils tiny pinpricks. She let out a screeching call her lips forming a toothy sneer as she planted her feet for another lunge.

A grey streak rushed past him, planting itself firmly into Delta's side with a sickening crunch. Both raptors tumbled to the ground before Delta kicked her legs up, flinging the beta into the paddock underbrush.

"STAND DOWN!"

This time Delta froze. Her head still lowered toward Owen. He was breathing heavy, still trying to catch his breath, but he was sick of this shit. Delta was way out of line.

Delta responded with a low growl and began to approach Owen slowly. Her stance was defensive and her neck coiled, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

His heart was racing, his head was pounding thinking was difficult through the adrenaline coursing through his body. He stood his ground as she stalked closer to him, watching him like one of his falconry birds watching prey. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he registered more shouts, and heard the grating of metal against metal.

"HO!"

His hands shot forward out of habit, his knife gripped tightly in his right hand. The green raptor stopped just a few feet shy of him. He could feel her deep growl reverberating in his own chest.

Owen was the first to move. He lunged forward into the raptors personal space giving his sharpest yell.

He was surprised when he saw Delta's pupils dilate, widening in shock. He'd never lunged at them before. She hadn't expected it. The green raptor reared back with a loud skree, her legs scrambling back wildly as she backpedaled.

After a few fumbling steps, she turned and ducked wildly into the underbrush, fearful whines echoing through the leaves as she retreated.

Owen stood still in the paddock clearing for nearly a minute, his knuckles white from tightly gripping his knife. The beats of his heart echoed through his head and his breathing was labored. The trainer stared at the greenery before him, his mind frozen in the events that had just occurred. Finally when there was no movement from the shaded foliage, he began to slowly calm down.

He glanced around warily. Charlie stood near the center of the clearing between him and Echo, her body blocking the rusty raptor from approaching the alpha trainer. She fixed him with a quick look before turning and walking away from him. As she walked into the leafy cover, her tail slapped Echo in the side, releasing her own tension and urging the rusty raptor to follow her. The clearing now free of Velociraptors Owen's shoulders finally slumped and he felt the knife slip from his grasp.

Turning shakily to his left, he saw a pale faced Barry standing in the paddock gate.

He felt a nervous laugh rise in his throat. He had just cheated death and he knew it.

A nervous warble made his head jerk as he immediately looked for the source. His beta stepped cautiously out from the tree line. Her streaked head and neck held low, balanced by an equally low tail. She approached him cautiously, her head only perking up when he didn't move. Finally she reached him and pushed the top of her snout into his side.

The sound of a breaking branch reverberated through the paddock, the source deep where the raptors liked to build their nests. Blue's head snaked away from Owen turning to face the intruding noise, a dangerous hiss escaping the edgy raptor.

"Blue."

Her eyes snapped back to him. He shook his head slightly at her.

"Go."

The word was firm, but not harsh. It was a request to be left alone and Owen was grateful when she listened for once. The grey-blue Velociraptor gave him a light warble and left him, quickly loping back into the cover of the paddock foliage.

The trainer bent down and picked up his knife, sheathing it on his belt loop before walking slowly to the paddock gate, each step a little shaky. When he was close enough, Barry grabbed Owen by the arm and practically flung him into the cage system that acted as the double door for the enclosure. Hitting the button to lower the grate Barry turned to his friend with a grim expression.

"That was too close Owen."

"I know. Believe me Barry, I know."

The two made their way through the smaller caged door and out into the afternoon sun, their short conversation lapsing into silence as the made their way toward the outbuilding.

"I'm serious Owen" Barry finally spoke up. "If you get yourself killed, I might be the one stepping in that cage, at least until I find a replacement. If I find a replacement. You don't want me getting hurt now do you? Besides, where the hell am I going to find another trainer with more balls than brain that I can convince to risk his life every day?"

The tension was broken and Owen cracked a tired smile. "Dr. Kirby said the other carnivore handlers were a lot like me."

"No, the other carnivore handlers just feed their animals; they don't take them on walks and challenge them to dominance displays."

Owen stopped, crossing his arms defensively and giving the darker man a faux glare. "I did not challenge Delta. Hell, she didn't even challenge me like the she did the other raptors. Besides, aren't you supposed to be working to calm her attitude?"

Now it was Barry's turn to take a defensive stance. "Now hold on. You know my girl is-

A slow clap echoed across the packed earth parking lot garnering the attention of both men.

They turned toward the sound to see the chief of InGen security making his way down the catwalk stairs.

"Impressive work Mr. Grady, the control you hold over your pack is really improving."

Owen sighed, he didn't have the energy to deal with Vic right now. "I don't control them Vic. Now can I help you?"

"You could have fooled me kid. Those animals should have eaten you alive, instead you convinced three to back down and one to flee from you."

"I didn't convince them of anything. Blue and Charlie stepped in to keep things fair they're the reason we can talk right now. Delta got startled, that's all. Echo, well, she's the pack omega right now, so she goes along for the ride more or less. It wasn't my command of them at all, if anything, it was more blind luck."

"That's my point, you convinced two Velociraptors to help you out; where you just see luck, I am beginning to see opportunity."

Owen and Barry stopped at the outbuilding door and turned to the large security chief. "I beg your pardon?"

"It's just that this experiment is finally starting to take shape and make some progress. You and the others are making great steps in proving that these animals can be trained. I know what I saw today. It was rough, sure, but those beasts are actually listening to you."

Owen rubbed his temples trying to keep a headache from forming. "Vic, I don't think-"

"You continue to make progress like this and InGen could make history. The applications could be limitless."

The trainer frowned, glancing at Barry who had a similar look of concern on his face. "What kind of applications?"

"That's actually why I'm here. Dr. Wu has requested that you would attend a formal dinner this Friday. A number of investors and board members for both InGen and Masrani Global will be there and many of them would like to speak with you and your colleagues about the training you are doing. Since you don't seem to check your email often enough, I decided to pass the information along myself."

Owen stared at the man silently before turning to open the outbuilding door. "I'll pass. Barry and I need to clean the paddock this week and we need to figure out something about Delta's attitude. We just have too much work to do. If they want to know about what we're doing, they can read my reports."

"It wasn't a request Mr. Grady. These men and women are providing the funding to keep your animals fed, they were the ones who paid for the medical expenses your animals have built up over the last few months. They expect you to be there, InGen expects you to be there."

Owen just let out a groan as Vic turned from the two trainers heading back to his own car before pausing and turning once more.

"Oh, one more thing, the event is black tie, so please dress appropriately."

The headache Owen had quickly flared into a migraine as the SUV pulled away from the paddock.

Owen turned away from the outbuilding, his desire to rest gone. He needed to work and clear his head. Motioning to his friend and coworker, he began to make his way back to the paddock. "Come on, let's go get a pig ready. The girls probably need to work off their stress, and I don't want to be a target again."


	16. Formalities

Owen pulled the flip phone out of his jacket pocket, checking the small screen for the umpteenth time. It was 7:34pm. Grumbling to himself, he slid the phone back into his jacket and left it on the chair. It was just too damn hot for this kind of dress, let alone the jacket.

The event had been set up in the Hilton's outdoor event venue. Floral arrangements and business decorations were spread across the large area. Numerous dining tables and chairs were carefully placed throughout the manicured grass. It was a high class social event, catering to the elite, all those who were funding anything related to Jurassic World. Owen could feel himself sweating through his dress shirt in the muggy, equatorial evening air.

Dinner had been nice enough, though it too had been far above his tastes. The lobster had been decoratively arranged with a various assortment of sauces and greenery in an effort to make edible art out of roughly two bites of food. The resulting flavor, at least to Owen's uncultured tastes, had been that of lobster.

When dinner was finished, Simon Masrani had stood up front and given a brief welcoming speech, thanking everyone for attending and encouraging them to enjoy themselves, courtesy of Jurassic World. He also reminded everyone that Island staff were among them, each wearing their staff security badge. If anyone had questions regarding the work being done on the island, then they were encouraged to speak with the staff present.

Owen glanced down at the security badge clipped to his shirt pocket, resisting the urge to pull it off and slip it in a pocket. He gave an exasperated sigh, looking away from the temptation. The consequences would be worse than simply putting up with a few snobbish questions and people. Instead, the man had ducked to the edges of the venue, leaning against the carved pillar that made one side of the venue's entrance. He would just stay out of the way for the next few hours, then he could go home and continue solving the Delta problem with Barry.

So far it was working, he hadn't been approached in nearly fifteen minutes, the majority of the crowds flocking around the important park staff. He watched the investors and park supporters crowding around Simon Masrani and his entourage, hoping to get a word in with the busy CEO. Dr. Wu had his own group of scientists that were being assaulted with questions and attention. He seemed more than happy to engage the crowds.

"Not a fan of the crowds?" Owen jerked his head towards the voice to see a lanky looking kid with dirty blonde hair leaning against the same pillar, a Jurassic World badge clipped to his shirt.

Content that it wasn't a curious member of the dinner, he turned his head back to the crowd. "Not in particular. Give me a paddock and my animals over this any day.

"Mhmm." The young man took a swig from the glass held in his hand. "I hear you, our Baryonyx can be more approachable than some of these people."

"No kidding, I almost feel sorry for the staff caught in that crowd. Owen Grady by the way." The trainer replied before extending his hand casually to the young man.

"Evan Albright. So Mr. Grady-"

"Owen, please."

"Owen. How did you get dragged into this event?"

Owen's face turned to a grimace. "InGen. Apparently, they want to show off their research projects and I'm the best person to explain what we are doing."

"What are you doing?"

"Velociraptors. We're testing to see if they are trainable."

"Trainable raptors. Heh, I bet that's a load of fun."

"It's not too bad, they're smart as hell, but I still have my all my fingers. So what about you?"

Evan pulled his glass up to his face, downing the rest of the beverage. "I'm the assistant Baryonyx keeper. My boss dragged me here to answer questions about the park's new expansion. He said it would be good for me to learn how to answer the 'tough stuff'. So far, the toughest question I've gotten is how much it costs to feed our girls regularly. I'm not sure half these people even know what a Baryonyx is." Owen coughed, looking away from the assistant keeper.

"Not you too!" The man let out a small groan. "There like ancient, crocodile mouthed Tyrannosaurs. Not quite as big, but the mental image should be right. We just opened the Cretaceous cruise two months ago. Introduced two more carnivores into the park." He paused before giving Owen a flat look. "Have you even been through the park?"

Owen gave the man a lame look before turning back to watch over the crowded venue. "Not really. Been a bit too busy to be playing tourist."

"Well you should stop by Margaritaville sometime. The keepers like to relax and socialize on Wednesdays before we prepare for the weekend rush. I'm sure they'd like to meet one of the men crazy enough to play with velociraptors. We could even give you a real tour of the park sometime, not the lame boring stuff the visitors see."

"Sure, I'll drop by sometime."

"Looking forward to it." The man looked back into the crowd, his face dropping to a tight frown. "Hey, I gotta get going, I think I see my boss looking for me. But seriously, drop by sometime, I'd like to hear more about how you train your raptors, maybe get a short consult on training my girls. Hell, at least drop by the bar, I'm sure you've got some stories to tell." Owen waved at him with a dismissing nod as the man turned to find a new hiding spot before turning once more. "Oh, Owen, stay away from Tim, he's the Tyrannosaur keeper."

"Why? Is he an ass or something?"

"What? No, Tim is great, he's just the keeper for the most popular attraction in the park. If you don't want to talk to any investors tonight, stay away from him."

Before he could respond, the young keeper had pushed into the crowd, no doubt to find a new spot away from the throngs of people talking business.

xxxxxxxxxx

It turned out that Tim was the least of Owen's problems. After Evan snuck away, Owen began to people watch. His position at the back of the venue gave him a great vantage point and he used it to watch the gathering like he watched his raptors. He watched for anyone that would show even the slightest interest in his direction. When someone did, he would duck into the crowd for a few minutes, grab a drink or hors d'oeuvre before returning to his spot. It worked well until Dr. Wu spotted him.

He had been watching his boss for a few minutes. The man was speaking with a group of people. One person seemed to be holding a long conversation with the geneticist. It was during this conversation the Henry looked up and spotted him. Suddenly realizing that his glass was once again empty, Owen turned to head for the refreshments table, glancing once more at the scientist. Wu was now leaning over and pointing at him, Owen froze. The man he had been talking with was none other than Simon Masrani.

His shoulders slouching a bit, Owen stayed put. He could duck away from plenty of people, but he doubted the CEO would be so easily dissuaded if he really wanted to talk with the trainer. Simon approached Owen quickly, his rather large entourage of people following closely behind. He had a smile on his face and brought his hand out to offer a handshake that Owen accepted.

"Mr. Grady! I am glad to see that you are doing well!"

"Please call me Owen."

"Owen, Dr. Wu tells me that your experiment is going well, but I wish to hear it from you. How are my raptors doing?"

"They're fine sir, a few bumps in the road, but we are making progress."

"Fantastic. Are they hunting well?"

"With all due respect Mr. Masrani, I'm not training them to hunt, I'm training them to keep people safe."

"I know, but hunting is a part of their nature is it not? Would they not hunt to stay happy?"

"I wouldn't say happy sir, but maybe content."

"Well, are my raptors content?"

"Yes sir. I do everything I can to keep them that way. Content raptors mean a safer paddock. We let them run down pigs on occasion, I wouldn't call it hunting, but it's the closest we can safely come to the real thing."

"I am glad to hear it, I have been reading your reports, and they are very interesting. The Velociraptor project is showing some fantastic progress. We may yet see a day where your raptors can be safely displayed to the public. Imagine the look on people's faces when they come face to face with the greatest predator on earth. "

"Several Velociraptors may still not be enough to reverse the recent dip in sales Mr. Masrani."

The CEO turned to the voice behind him and stepped to the side, allowing Dr. Wu and a sharply dressed woman step into the conversation. "Ah Ms. Dearing, Henry, I'm glad you could join us, we were just discussing the positive effect the velociraptor project could have on the park."

"And as I stated, Velociraptors may not be enough. Park attendance is dwindling sir, and one new attraction may not be enough."

Simon turned to Clair bowing his head slightly. "As always, you may be right Ms. Dearing. That is just another reason why I am confident with my decision to step down and let you run this park."

A slight blush crept onto the red-head's face and she looked away. Dr. Wu on the other hand took the opportunity to speak up. "Simon, are you absolutely sure that you want to step down? You've been overseeing this project since Hammond left it to you. No offence to Ms. Dearing, but are you sure that this is the wisest idea?"

"Henry don't worry. Claire has been shadowing me for the past year, learning everything about this park. She is perfectly suited to this role. Besides, it's time to let a little more new mix with the old. I am not foolish enough to believe that only my ideas breed success. If the last two years are any indication, then it is my time to step down and let new ideas flourish. Clair will provide a new perspective that I believe will turn this recent slump around."

Claire turned to Dr. Wu. "I do not intend to hinder your work Dr. Wu. My main goal is to boost ticket sales and ensure the efficient management of this park and its assets." She casually gestured towards Owen. "Which is part of why I do not think that velociraptors will be enough. The park needs new attractions that provide a wow factor. The Tyrannosaur Kingdom is one of the most popular exhibits. Her size and ferocity are a big draw to the park. I believe that building off of that success will help bring more sales. I will of course be conducting research to provide evidence for my theory, but I am confident it will stand."

Simon gave the woman a kind smile before turning to Dr. Wu with a smirk. "You hear that, Henry, they want them bigger, more teeth. With the pair of you, I think I can comfortably step down and hand over the reins. You and Claire can carry Hammond's dream far further than I can now. Let me focus on making sure you have the funding to get there."

He turned back to Owen giving the trainer a kind look. "I am impressed with your work Mr. Grady. Your background and experience has served you well so far. Despite Ms. Dearing's misgivings, I believe your work can benefit this park in more ways than we can hope to imagine. I look forward to seeing the finished product." The CEO turned to the group as a whole. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a few other investors to win over before the night is done."

As he walked away, Owen turned to Claire. She had a predatory look about her. Her sharp eyes complimented her no-nonsense personality. She was dangerous, sharp like his raptors, and he had no doubt she was a vicious businesswoman to have attracted Masrani's attention. She had certainly attracted him. The red head paid him no mind, turning instead to Dr. Wu.

"Give me a few days to settle into my office and I will be sure to send you the latest focus group studies. When you've looked them over, we can begin discussing asset development with Mr. Masrani."

"I look forward to it, Ms. Dearing, InGen has a project or two that may interest you. Now if you will excuse me as well, I need to meet with my directors and inform them of your new position and the direction you will be hoping to go." He turned to Owen. "Thank you for joining us Mr. Grady. I'm sure there are still a few more people who would like to speak with you, but you may leave whenever you are finished."

With that, Dr. Wu turned and walked toward the Hilton, pulling out his phone as he stepped away.

"Mr. Grady, it was a pleasure to meet you. Mr. Masrani speaks highly of your work, and I meant no disrespect with my statements. It is simply my job to ensure that Jurassic World begins making the most of its assets."

"None taken Ms. Dearing, and please, call me Owen." The trainer paused, rubbing his neck sheepishly and committing to what he was about to say. "Listen I know you're busy, but would you like to grab dinner with me sometime? We can of course discuss your assets, I mean the park's assets, but I just think I'd like to get to know you a little better." Another pause. "You know seeing that you're kind of the new boss around here."

Claire stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face. "Very well Mr. Grady."

"Great. I was thinking we cou-"

"Give the details to my assistant, she will relay the date and time to me. Now please excuse me, Mr. Young mentioned that he was looking for his assistant keeper and I believe I've just spotted him hiding near the refreshments."

She was gone before he could ask the red headed business woman who her assistant was.

xxxxxxxxxx

Simon's stop with Owen had attracted the attention of a number of people. Owen found himself answering far too many incredibly inane questions regarding his work and the raptors. Were their talons trimmed? Had they be house trained? Were there plans to bring them into the petting zoo? He had physically laughed at that one. Did he live with them? How expensive were they to care for? The questions went on and on, slowly bringing around a headache that beat heavily into the trainer's skull.

One man had approached him with a small stack of papers. Jacob Finely was a marketing supervisor for the park. He had cornered the handler when Owen had tried to duck away and grab another drink.

"Mr. Grady, do you have a minute?"

The pounding headache was souring his mood and he replied sharply "Would it be too bad if I said no?"

"Please this will only take a minute."

"What is it?"

"I just need you to take a look at these. I was put in charge of developing the publicity around the raptor experiment. The park wants to be ready if one of the groups is cleared for exhibit status. I've already spoken with the other paddock handlers, but I was hoping you could review these profiles of your Velociraptors."

Owen rubbed his temples before taking the document. "Fine, just give me a minute."

He scanned the profiles, a frown growing deeper on his face as he read each sentence. "These are wrong Mr…"

"Finely, sir. What's wrong?" the supervisor replied nervously.

"Well Blue's profile seems to be the most accurate, but there are still several problems. You state that Blue is the oldest. She's actually the youngest. She is the pack beta, but that's not because of her age. Here, look, you state that Charlie is the youngest, but that should be Blue, with Echo being the second youngest. Charlie is Blue's second, matching her in size, and prowess, though that may change soon with Delta's attitude. I do believe that you may be right about Blue being the most cunning though. She's damn smart." The trainer paused, rubbing his forehead more. "What's this about Delta having gecko like pupils?"

"That was an idea by my boss. Said it would help the public differentiate the two green raptors."

Owen crossed his arms and gave the marketer a flat look. "And the handlers nicknaming Echo 'Elvis' because of a scar on her snout?"

"That one was true! I spoke to your assistant and got it straight from his mouth!"

Owen let out a frustrated sigh, promising revenge on Barry somehow. Pulling away from Mr. Finely he said, "I can assure you, Echo does not have a scar there. Look, I could go on, but my headache is killing me and I am very tired. Why don't you stop by the paddock this week and we can go over this in detail."

Jacob's face paled. "N-No its okay, I don't need to come by. It's kind of a moot point anyway. The first version was sent to distributors several days ago. I tried to contact you about it, but I guess you never got my email."

Owen's eyebrow shot up, realization washing over him. That would explain Barry's involvement. His friend had warned him that he needed to check his email more often. Jacob however, misread the look as disapproval.

"Don't worry! Nothing gets released to the public until Jurassic World announces it. We can send out an updated version long before your experiment ends!"

Owen didn't have the energy for any more of this tonight. He just wanted to get home and change out of the damned monkey suit that was slowly choking the life out of him. "Well, thank you Mr. Finely. Now is there anything else you need from me?"

"No sir! Thank you so much for your time."

After Mr. Finely had departed, the trainer had been able to sneak out before anyone else approached him. He had seen Vic moving his way, several people with military dress in tow, and decided it was time to leave. He appreciated the Security Chief's fondness of the military, they were similar in those regards, but Owen had no interest in speaking with officers or commanders tonight.

He had left the party and made a beeline to the paddock outbuilding. Owen had practically moved into the building over the last few weeks. The thing was dusty and older, but it had all of the amenities he needed. It was just too much of a hassle for him to drive the length of the island every day just to get to work. Besides, he figured the pack would appreciate the man staying closer to them.

Having changed out of his sweat laden suit and into something more fitting for the muggy night air, Owen made his way to the paddock under the rising full moon. Taking a seat on the catwalks, he watched the moonlit clearing and enjoyed the silence of it all. His girls would no doubt be nested for the night. They were comfortable in the dark, but they were not nocturnal. No, they we crepuscular, preferring dawn and dusk.

A rustle of leaves drew his attention as a tired looking Velociraptor stepped into the clearing. Blue approached sitting man, eyeing his dangling feet and greeting him with a soft trill.

"Hey Blue." He trilled back.

She watched him, her amber eyes reflecting the moonlight making the discs appear to glow. When the trainer didn't do anything interesting, Blue turned away with a snort, loping back into the cover of the dark foliage. Owen smiled at his beta. She was curious, cunning, smart, and protective. When she was alert. She apparently didn't like being awoken, even by him. He watched the leaves settle, enjoying the night air and the coastal breeze. Tomorrow, he would scold Barry for messing with the park's desk jockeys; then they would begin sorting out what more they could do about Delta's growing aggression.


	17. Avoidance

 

Her tail twitched as the raptor slid to a halt, her razor sharp talons raking the soft earth. Her head lifted as she sniffed the air with short quizzical breaths. She was trying to locate the scent. The sweet tang of fresh blood filled her nostrils, it permeated everything around her. She wouldn't be fooled though. There was a trail was stronger than the surrounding air, it mixed sweetly with his scent, the pack scent, creating a scent that was easy to follow, even with the surrounding odors. The raptor's lips pulled back, revealing her dangerous teeth as she dove back into the foliage with a renewed vigor.

Owen smiled, wiping his brow in the afternoon heat, as he watched Delta duck back into the paddock's cover. She was persistent and focused, ignoring anything else, even her feud with him. Scent training. It was a simple idea, but it was working far better than he had ever hoped. The raptors were taking to it like it was second nature.

The trainer was pretty sure it was second nature.

The idea had been a suggestion by his father during one of their regular skype calls. Owen had been thanking the man for shipping his suit on short notice and relaying the events of the banquet when the question came to him.

"Dad, I've one of my raptors has become extremely aggressive. Do you have any ideas I can try?"

"You know, I might have something. Hold on a minute." His father ducked out of the camera lens to search for something off screen before finally returning with a worn journal. Flipping open the worn binding he tabbed through the entries humming to himself.

"Here we go. One of my apprentices had this problem a couple of seasons ago. I made a note of it for future use. Andrew came to me complaining that his passage Red Tail was getting really aggressive. He was at his wits end, asking me repeatedly if he should just release her and be done with it. Poor kid had the bandages and scars to prove it too. Apparently his bird had ceased hunting with him. She would fly off on her own and find her own prey, when she missed, Andrew would find himself on the receiving end of a very angry bird of prey.

When we looked through his daily records, we found that she hadn't caught anything all season. The bird was frustrated and bored, taking her anger out on the young falconer. He and I worked on getting her some easy hunts to boost her moral. Once she had successfully caught a couple rabbits, her demeanor changed completely, she began working with him again and she became a hunting machine. Last I spoke with him, he still had her."

"That's great dad, but we hunt them every few days, at least as best as we can do in the paddock. They don't always catch the pig, but they catch it enough to keep trying. This is Delta we're talking about, the one I told you about."

"The West Nile survivor?"

"Yessir. She's not bored or game hungry. Just aggressive, like a switch has been thrown or something. She pinned Charlie yesterday and I doubt she intends to stop until she gets alpha."

John rubbed his chin absently "Hmmm. That is a problem. Is she always aggressive?"

"Not always, and not in any particular pattern. Sometimes she's on edge, other times she's relaxed or picking on her sisters. It's making it really dangerous to work with them. I don't feel like getting challenged by her every time I step foot into the paddock."

"Well you may not be looking for a challenge, but she is. It sounds to me like she's bored. Maybe you need to redirect that focus. If your mother were here, I'm sure she would suggest finding something else to keep that raptor of yours focused."

"I'm not sure I'm following you. I can't let her out to hunt better game and the only other challenges in her eyes are Blue and myself."

"Exactly my point. You need to fabricate a new challenge, something that redirects her attention. Do you remember when your mother trained the police dogs for the San Diego Police Department? She had those animals eating out of the palm of her hand because she kept them focused on doing something challenging that they wanted to do."

"I remember all of my stuff smelling like vanilla for a month when she decided to bring that training home with her."

That got a soft chuckle from his father. "Yeah, me too."

"But all Delta seems to want to do is pick fights. How am I supposed to redirect that?"

"Nonsense, you know there's three things predators want most of all."

"Yeah. Eating, hunting, and-"

"Procreating. Yes, my point is that maybe you need to get Delta hunting something more challenging than a canned pig." The older man paused, thinking for a moment. "I guarantee your mother would recommend scent training. It has the right challenge and reward that your girls are looking for. Delta gets a challenge to focus her mind and you might get a calmer Velociraptor out of it."

"Hmm, I'll run it by Barry, at this point I'm more than willing to try anything."

"Well that's just this old man's advice, take it or leave it. Except what your mother would say, always listen to your mother."

"Thanks dad, how is mom doing anyway?"

"Oh, she's fine, wanted to tell you hi. She's still stationed in Yellowstone. The wolves up there are having some difficulties that she is trying to identify the source of."

The two men had talked, and he had relayed the idea to Barry later the next day. They had spent the rest of the week planning out the project and how they would introduce it. When they finally felt they had a good enough plan, they had set to work.

* * *

Delta leapt out into the clearing from a different side than before. She stopped and sniffed the air once more, a low hiss escaping her mouth. The green raptor lowered her head and moved through the clearing more slowly, sniffing the ground intensely. The raptor's nostrils flared again and with a triumphant bark she leapt back into the brush once more.

Delta was thorough. She was following the trail Owen had left with exact precision and dogged perseverance. The raptors had been corralled into the smaller holding pens to the side of the Paddock. Owen had taken a large chunk of fresh, dripping meat and held it up, giving all four girls plenty of time to sniff through the slotted walls.

He had then proceeded to run through the paddock itself, carrying the meat with him, ducking under branches, crawling through underbrush and generally leaving a trail of scent crisscrossing through the enclosure. Barry had even joined in with his own chunk of meat, building false trails and dead ends. When Owen was satisfied with the trail, he ducked through a small chute and divided the meat placing the chunks where the raptors could get it.

Delta was now proving to be a meticulous follower. She had followed the entire trail that Owen left, actively ignoring any other scents. Finally Owen watched the raptor duck into the chute and give a bugle of success. He also heard the grating sound of metal on concrete as the chute slid shut behind her.

The trainer took a moment to walk down the catwalk stairs and pulled the barred door open, letting him into the gated section they called the 'airlock'. Closing the door behind him, Owen walked over to the darker man who was now checking on Delta.

"These squeeze chutes were a stroke of brilliance Barry." They really were. Barry had tossed out the idea when they were thinking of ways to contain the potentially dangerous predators. Owen could safely walk through the paddock and check his girls, but there was no guarantee that he would always be there when they needed checking, or that the girls would always let him in. Delta was living proof of that one. So the two trainers had designed and built modified chutes with the help of the local construction firm on the island.

The girls had hated them at first, but even after only a few days of training, they seemed to be associating the chutes with rewards more and more.

"I know Owen, don't forget to praise me for the muzzles too." Barry replied casually.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. How is she looking today?"

"She's good, come see for yourself."

Delta was standing in the squeeze chute, her head pressed into the steel muzzles that Barry had constructed after their first attempt at using the chutes. The green raptor looked pleased, her eyes half lidded as she tasted the reward of her search. Her jaw opened a little, pressing against the restraint as she attempted to chew on the treat in her mouth. Owen had placed the chunks of meat inside each steel muzzle. It was a training technique that would hopefully condition the raptors to associate the muzzles and chutes positively.

The green raptor really did look good. Her demeanor was calmer, and she looked less agitated as Barry felt along the side of her snout. It was honestly the most 'normal' that he had seen the raptor since her recovery from the virus.

"You're right, she looks good. Did a fantastic job with the training today too. I don't think she strayed from the trail once."

"That's my girl Owen, perfect in every way." Owen rolled his eyes, amused at how attached Barry had gotten to the raptor since helping her recover.

"Not every way, still need to work on that attitude."

"Hey now, Delta is a lady! If she's wouldn't be giving you shit if you didn't deserve it!"

"Right, and the scars on your arm tell me she thinks you're the perfect gentleman."

Both men fell into easy laughter as they finished the visual check on the green raptor.

Ten minutes later and Owen was back on the catwalk watching as Charlie stepped into the paddock clearing. After watching her run the training a few times, he had quickly realized that she had a very different approach from Delta's meticulous one. Charlie was much more relaxed in her pursuit, willing to think through the problem.

The green striped raptor would make a large circle around the clearing. She held her snout to the ground and moved slowly, taking in every scent at the edge of the clearing. When she had made a full round, she would return to what she believed was the strongest scent, pursuing it quickly, and usually straight into her reward, this time located at the end of the next chute.

Her methods certainly turned quicker results than Delta, but she would occasionally fall victim to one of Barry's false trails if it was strong enough.

Echo on the other hand seemed content to follow the path of whatever raptor moved before her. The one time Barry had released her first, the raptor had followed a number of trails before finally getting tired and giving up. She had decided to lay down in the center of the paddock clearing, content to doze in the warm sunlight.

Blue was the trickiest. The first time they had released her into the paddock, the blue streaked raptor had bolted to the center of the clearing and begun to pace around. She held her head up and let her eyes scan everything around her as she tested the scents in the air. Owen had been surprised to watch her pinpoint the meat laying just beyond the barred gate to the 'airlock'. Ignoring every scent trail, she had made a beeline for the meat.

She had spent nearly ten minutes pacing the length of the barred gate, pushing her snout between the bars and even giving frustrated barks to Owen as he stood above her.

The raptor had even managed to give him a mild heart attack when she had gotten frustrated enough to reach through the bars and press the gate button with her long talons. Owen had practically jumped off the catwalk stairs in order to make sure the exterior gate was locked.

Blue on the other hand, stepped smugly inside the open gate and daintily picked each piece of meat off of the steel muzzles. Making eye contact with the trainer, she had snapped the last morsel in her jaws before contently stalking back through the gate and into the paddock.

Owen and Barry had spent the rest of the afternoon moving the control pad further back from the gate interior.

The training had taught Owen that Blue was a very direct problem solver, preferring to take a direct approach rather than Delta's methodical approach or Charlie's deductive approach. It had also reminded him that he needed to be watch what he did around the paddock more closely. He had heard the stories about raptors learning to open doors, but this was the first time he had really believed it.

After Blue's success, they had introduced vanilla extract into the training. Owen dumped an entire bottle of the fragrant liquid in a line along the closed gate. They hoped that it would eventually become a learned deterrent. Anything coated in the strong fragrance would be considered off limits and none of the raptors would receive rewards for crossing vanilla lines.

The blue streaked raptor of course didn't know that and had spent the next several runs pacing along the gate, looking for new ways to get to her treats. She would give Owen a frustrated bark after a few minutes, but she never gave in. The trainer had to watch her carefully as she searched for any weaknesses to exploit. Anytime she did retreat from the gate, Owen would toss her a treat, hoping to reinforce the avoidance behavior.

Today though, it had finally begun to pay off. Owen felt a swell of pride as the cobalt streaked raptor had sniffed the vanilla line and stepped away, ignoring the meat visible through the bars, looking for another way to get to the food. He could tell that she was figuring the problem out as she darted around the paddock. The grey-blue raptor stayed near the walls, sniffing a little but keeping her head up and eyes alert, focused more on visual cues than olfactory ones.

When she had finally found the chute opening, she paused to examine the tunnel. The raptor took a few steps in and then backed out with a snort. Owen watched as she swung her neck around to look back towards the gate and then back to the chute opening. With another heavy snort, she finally ducked into the chute and Owen was a little relieved to hear the elated bugle echo through the paddock from beneath him.

With all four raptors secured in the squeeze chutes, Owen made his way down to the gate. They needed to clean the paddock, and at least dull the scent trails so his girls wouldn't be following dead ends all evening. Calling to his coworker he grabbed a large bucket and walked into the paddock. "That's it for today! Barry, lets grab the hoses and scrub the place down, I wanna get out of here before dark."

"What's the rush? Got a date?"

"Actually, for your information, I do." Owen replied with a smug grin. "We're meeting tonight in the park center."

"Oh so you finally found her assistant then."

"Damn right I did, she was tricky to track down, but I finally cornered her and got a date and time set up."

Barry snorted, grabbing the long hose and dragging it into the paddock. "It sounds to me like she's giving you the runaround. You sure she really wants to go with you?"

Owen scoffed, kneeling down to pull some half buried bones from the dirt. "If she is, then at least I'll get to have one dinner with a pretty lady. That's more than you can say. Besides, who do you know that can resist my charm?" He paused his work, making a ridiculous pose.

Barry let out a good natured snort. "Charm! I feel bad for you Owen. It is not healthy to lie to yourself like that. But, if you need an example, I'm sure Delta will be happy to resist your charm any day."

Dropping the bones into a pile near the gate, the trainer huffed. "What do you know? She said yes to dinner after all. Besides, we're talking humans here, raptors don't count."

Barry's face dropped into a tight frown. "From what I hear, Claire Dearing is a raptor. One dressed in a fancy suit dress sure, but a raptor none the less."

"What are you talking about?"

"The keepers have been talking. Apparently since she started last week she has been going through each enclosure looking for any infraction and any inefficiencies. She's fired at least three people already." The trainer let out a long sigh. "Look, all I'm saying is that she's making herself very difficult to reach and maybe it's not the best idea to date your boss. Stick to the prehistoric predators my friend, not the corporate ones."

"Barry, she's just a busy woman trying to fill big shoes. Besides, she's so far up the ladder that we're practically in different businesses."

"Mon Dieu." Barry muttered with a shake of his head. "Fine. Just remember that I warned you."

"Relax, it'll be fine." He paused. "Wait, what keepers have you been talking to?"

"Most of them, they meet every Wednesday. It's kind of a park tradition."

"You never invited me?"

"And let you 'charm' the ladies from me? Hell no." Barry replied with a light chuckle before getting a little more serious. "I've invited you several times Owen. You just work late most nights. You should come next week, give Blue and the girls an evening off."

Owen only muttered, the defensive look on his face causing his friend to laugh. Finally he snatched the hose from Barry, twisting the nozzle open with a jerk. "Come on, let's just get these walls hosed down, I need to get back, clean up, and change. These work pants aren't going to cut it, it's just too damned hot for that."


	18. Best Laid Plans

 

He was late.

Cleaning had taken far longer than they had planned. By the time they had finished the deep clean and evening feeding of the raptors, He knew he would be late. Owen had rushed back to the outbuilding and quickly thrown on some deodorant, a fresh change of clothes, and sprinted out the door. He had no doubt that Claire would not appreciate tardiness, but he hoped she would understand that sometimes work came first.

The sun was just beginning to set when the handler finally walked into the park's Main Street. Park guests milled around, enjoying the restaurants and shops the lined the central plaza. Owen spotted Claire standing beneath the Hammond memorial statue just outside the innovation center. He approached her casually, offering a wave to the woman as she talked on the phone. When he was close enough to hear her, she said her goodbyes and hung up, gripping a leather bound notebook tightly in her hands.

"You're late."

"Sorry about that, the paddock took longer to clean than we anticipated, but I didn't want to leave a job half done."

"Very well Mr. Grady."

"Please call me Owen."

The woman's eyebrow raised and Owen could see her eyeing him with an unreadable expression. "Anyway, I appreciate your commitment to your job, though I wish you had budgeted your time well enough to change before coming tonight."

Owen glanced down at his Jurassic World polo and board shorts. "Oh, no. I changed before coming. It wouldn't be safe to wear shorts around the raptors. The legs would just be an added temptation for bites. I just changed into something more comfortable to walk Main Street in."

Claire's red eyebrow raised again, silently appraising the man in front of her. Owen suddenly felt a little more self-conscious about his choice of clothing. Finally, her piercing eyes left him as she suddenly strode past him.

"Come along Mr. Grady, I've reserved us a table at Nobu. Providing they have not released it to other customers, we can discuss the rest of the evening over dinner." She continued to walk, not checking to see if Owen was following. He followed hesitantly, wondering if a date had really been the best idea after all.

Nobu was packed when the couple arrived. By the looks of things, there as at least a thirty minute wait for the Japanese restaurant. It was quickly apparent that Owen was inappropriately dressed for the occasion. For walking Main Street or visiting the other restaurants that dotted the resort, sure; but his business polo and board shorts stuck out among the slacks and dress shirts around him. Claire on the other hand was dressed sharply. She comfortably wore the navy pencil skirt and white blouse, though how she wore the tan dress coat in the island heat, Owen would probably never know.

The couple barely stopped at the hostess podium, Claire simply greeting the hostess and being ushered inside with Owen in tow. They were guided back into one of the restaurant's private dinner rooms, and Owen stepped forward to offer Claire her seat.

The red head removed the coat from her shoulders before hanging it on the chair Owen had pulled out. As they sat, the waitress passed them their menus.

"Hi, my name is Ashley and I'll be your server tonight. Can I start you off with anything? Salads? Wine?"

Both Owen and Claire shook their heads.

"Do you two need a few minutes to look over our menu?"

"No, we are actually on a tight schedule. If I could get the Arctic Char, but please hold the soy." Claire responded, pushing the menu back to the waitress.

"Of course, and for you?"

Owen scrambled to look though the menu as two pair of expectant eyes watched him. He enjoyed fish, but he wasn't familiar with the dishes offered on the menu. Ultimately, the trainer settled on the first thing he recognized. "I'll just take the fish and chips."

Claire's eyebrow raised once more before the waitress distracted her.

"May I get you anything to drink?"

"Water." Both replied in unison.

"Alright, we'll have that right out for you!"

"Thank you." Owen replied as the waitress turned away. The door closed behind the waitress as she left, muffling the sounds of the crowds in the public side of the establishment. When they were alone, Claire unzipped the notebook she had been carrying and pulled out a formal document before sliding it across the table to the trainer. "What's this?"

"It's our itinerary for the evening. We are a little behind schedule, but if we eat quickly then we can still make the botanical gardens before they close for the evening."

She had printed an itinerary. The woman before him had actually drawn up and printed a schedule of events for the night. Owen could deal with type A personalities. He was experienced with them from his time in the Navy. He hadn't expected an itinerary though. Not only that, but Claire had actually scheduled an ending time. Things were supposed to wrap up by nine thirty.

He read over the schedule a few more times, trying to grasp the absurdity before him. Finally, he set the document aside. It wasn't worth questioning. If she wanted to be this organized, he could deal with it. He watched her as the waitress returned with their water.

Claire Dearing was unique. She stood out to him. She had a lithe frame and red hair, both things that Owen had been attracted to immediately, but she also had a dangerous and commanding air about her as well. Barry may have been more correct in his comparison than he realized.

He turned to her when she let out a small sigh before addressing him. "Mr. Grady. Tell me, how are things going with the Velociraptors?"

The trainer had been about to respond when his eye caught the itinerary sitting on the table. The question left his mouth before he was fully aware of it. "I'm sorry, Is this a date or am I at an appointment?"

The red head's eyes hardened just a little and he could see her jaw set tighter as she stared at Owen. She watched him for several seconds before letting out a deep breath and relaxing her shoulders. "I can assure you Mr. Grady, I am not dining with you on business."

"I'm sorry, it's just, with the schedule and the tone, and everything else, I was just worried I might have scheduled and appointment with you by accident.

She glanced at the schedule on the table her posture loosening a bit more. "If you had scheduled an appointment with me, we would be meeting during regular business hours at my office, not over dinner in one of the park's restaurants."

"Okay, just wanted to make sure. The raptors are doing well, all things considered."

Claire seemed to relax and the tension in the room faded as both people decided to move past the question. Claire took a sip of her water, glancing at him with a small smile. "Very good. Your reports have been quite thorough. Mr. Masrani has been very impressed with your reports so far. While I don't believe that those assets will be enough to turn sales completely around, I do believe your research will be very valuable to the future of this park."

"Thanks." It was sort of a compliment, he could accept that. "Honestly, I'm just glad we are finally making some progress. Delta is still giving me some issues, but the others are falling in line nicely."

Claire gave him a confused look. "Mr. Grady, I'm sorry, who are you talking about?"

"Oh, she's one of the Velociraptors. Their names are Blue, Charlie, Delta, and Echo."

"You named them?"

"Of course, what else was I supposed to do? Give them numbers? I mean, I suppose I could call them by their numbers 'V-0013, V-0014, and so on, but they deserve something better, they need something to respond to."

"Can't they just respond to you?"

Owen gave her a flat look. "They're living creatures, they deserve at least some respect. If I'm going to work with them then I need a name to work with. If nothing else, it helps me. Names help build a connection with them, distinguish them as more than just another animal in this park."

Claire fixed the trainer with a skeptical frown. "A connection?"

Owen chuckled at the face she was making, having had this conversation before. "It's not some mystical bond with them. Addressing them by name helps keep me focused when I work with them. I remember their traits, flaws, and habits far more clearly than if they were simply 'Velociraptor number three'.

People are hard-wired to care more about something with a name. We remember things more clearly if a name is attached to them. That's why our parents told us not to name that stray dog we found. And consequently why we kept it."

"I never had a dog growing up. But I guess I can see where naming them would make you a more efficient trainer."

Owen paused, glancing up from fiddling with his napkin, something bugging him as he looked at the woman sitting across the table. "You know, I listed the raptors by name in my reports."

Claire looked away, a small blush reddening her cheeks.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence until the waitress returned with their food.

* * *

Claire remained poised as she cut into her fish, eating with grace born from years of business dinners and public affairs. She was very good at putting up a friendly face, but Owen had years of experience in reading body language. The subtle grimace she made every time he picked up a French fry was very telling.

The conversation was broken and spaced between long stretches of silence. Twice, she had excused herself from the table to take a phone call. The last one lasted for nearly ten minutes. He had learned a few things about her though.

She had graduated from Harvard and moved on to graduate studies at Oxford. Claire had also worked in two other theme parks before Jurassic World. She disliked sports and she had scoffed at his suggestion to grab a drink at Sunrio after dinner. Tequila was apparently not good for her diet. The trainer was pretty sure she had refused simply because it wasn't in her scheduled plan.

Unfortunately, that was about it, she had shut him down every time he mentioned family or anything beyond her work.

When she finally returned, Owen was finishing the last of his dinner. Wiping his mouth with his napkin, the trainer spoke up, hoping to strike a more relate-able conversation.

"So, did you ever think you would end up working at Jurassic World?"

Claire looked up at him, swallowing the bite she had just taken. Dabbing her mouth with her napkin, she shook her head. "Not directly, no. When Simon hired me, I was helping manage sections of Masrani Energy. When Simon told me that he would be stepping down from his position at the park, he requested that I consider the position. That was the first I ever thought about it."

"So what made you say yes?"

"I agreed because of Mr. Masrani." She paused, seeing Owen's confused look. She sighed. "Simon is a brilliant CEO and business person. He took his father's industry and expanded it exponentially. The man is a visionary and a dreamer; he is not a great manager. This park's early success and growth have been heavily reliant on Simon's willingness to pump billions of his own investments into it.

He beat the odds and Jurassic World succeeded in building great profit margins for a number of years, but its expenditures are enormous and although much of it is necessary, much of it is wasted as well. He knows this; that is why he asked me to step in. I helped restructure Masrani Energy, and I intend to do the same here."

"So you are going to cut costs? Is that why some employees have been fired?"

"They were let go because their role was unnecessary. The work they did could easily be filled by their coworkers. I'm here to make this park run more efficiently Mr. Grady. I do not fire people to save money, I am in charge of asset management; that includes staffing, merchandising, and the attractions."

"You mean the animals?"

She ignored his question. "I have been surveying the assets and their care for the last two weeks. I've found significant areas for improvement and waste reduction. By eliminating or replacing some worn equipment, staff, and unnecessary additions, the park should be able to cut its spending a great deal. The money saved, will allow us to expand, build, and develop new assets."

Owen's eyes narrowed slightly, he didn't like where this was heading. "So you are cutting back the care and enrichment of living, breathing animals, just to save a couple bucks?"

"It's more than a few dollars Mr. Grady. The last two years have shown that Jurassic World is hemorrhaging money. It ebbs and flows, but the fact of the matter is that we are no longer breaking even and that is making a lot of people nervous. Simon stepped back so I can turn that around."

"No, I get that; but why are you starting with the animals? Why not begin with something else, maybe something that isn't a living creature and the heart of this park?"

Claire's face hardened a bit and she put her fork down. "Because Mr. Grady, those assets are where the most waste occurs. Simon spared no expense in the making of this park. It helped the park succeed, but it also brought a lot of waste and unnecessary expenditures. For example, there is no reason why we should be building a second aviary for the Dimorphodons when they can be housed safely within the Pteradon aviary. This would cut costs immensely and keep us from having to hire more keepers."

"Claire, these are living, breathing animals, have you considered that the keepers are using this money to keep these animals happy? They spend every day with those animals, they know their needs inside and out. The expense they incur are not for fun, they meet very real needs."

"I am well aware of what each asset requires to remain healthy within their enclosure. Those that cannot be cared for safely are either moved north into the research zone or disposed of."

"Dammit Claire, these are living creatures that have needs beyond just being fed and having a place to sleep. You can't just decide-"

"Mr. Grady! They are property, bred in our labs, cared for by us. They. Are. Assets."

"They are alive, Ms. Dearing and they rely on the people in this park to care for them. Just because you created them, doesn't mean you should simply 'dispose' of them when they are no longer convenient."

"They are attractions bred for the use of this park. We do not need to breed thirty-seven Triceratops, they may move in herds, but we don't need a herd that big. What we need are attractions that draw more people in and keep them coming back. Both are costly ventures, but only one will actually make a return on its money."

Owen felt a little sick. He stood from the table. "Ms. Dearing, I think I need to go check on something at the paddock."

"I think you may be right. I need to head back to the office as well. Thank you for dinner Mr. Grady. It was enlightening."

"It certainly was." Owen grumbled, snagging the check and turning towards the door.

"Oh, Mr. Grady, please dress more appropriately tomorrow. There are a number of investors joining me and I would like you to at least look professional for our inspection."

Owen stopped in the door. "What are you talking about?"

Claire dabbed her mouth with her napkin. "Your, paddock survey is tomorrow morning. I do hope everything is in order."

Owen pushed through the privacy door, leaving Claire seated at the table, the woman reaching over and grabbing the printed itinerary he had left.

Owen stalked out of the restaurant, stopping only to pay the hostess. He ground his teeth, but forced himself to calm down and pull out his phone.

He needed to call Barry

They had a lot of work to do.


	19. Tension

 

The trainer rushed back to the paddock outbuilding where most of his possessions currently resided. He pulled the old laptop out of his bag and cleared the small table with his arm. When he checked his email, there was no notification. Owen was notoriously bad at checking his email for news and park reports, but this time, he had been right. There wasn't any notification regarding a paddock survey in the morning. With a sigh he let himself relax just a bit.

The notification tone echoed through the small break room some time later. The trainer opened his eyes from where he was sitting on the couch. It was a harsh tone that indicated a new message had just landed in his inbox. With a low groan that expanded into an exhausted yawn, Owen stood, making his way to the machine already knowing what would greet him.

Sure enough, sitting in his inbox was a short missive from none other than Claire Dearing. Clicking the icon, the email popped up.

* * *

**ATTN: INTERNAL MEMO**

_April 7_ _th_ _2013, 9:47:34  
_ _To: MG Investor Development Liaison  
_ _CC: InGen Security Administrator, Staff of Research Paddock #1  
_ _From: Claire Dearing, Park Operations Manager_   


_Subject: Mandatory Operations and Security Survey_

_Due to unforeseen circumstances, there has been a change of schedule for the events of Monday April 8th 2013. The scheduled survey for 9:00am tomorrow morning has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. However, in the interest of efficiency, the staff at Research Paddock Number #1 has offered to fill the cancelled appointment._

_Because this is a research paddock and not a public display, we have requested the presence of InGen's security division for verification of paddock security and adequate containment of research assets. If your investors would like to review the list of security measures installed within each paddock, please open attachment 1-A._

_We apologize for any inconvenience this scheduling change may have caused, and we appreciate your patience._

_Thank you._

_Claire Dearing  
_ _Park Operations Manager  
_ _Jurassic World_

* * *

Owen let out a groan, abandoning any hopes of sleeping. Reaching for his things, the trainer quickly changed into a pair of work clothes and stepped outside into the cooler night air. His radio crackled to life as he made his way to the darkened paddock.

"Owen? You there?"

Pulling the radio off his belt Owen responded tiredly. "Yeah I'm here."

"Good, I just got an email. Did you know anything about a paddock survey?"

"You know, Claire mentioned something about a survey as I was walking out on her during dinner tonight." The trainer replied flatly as he stepped up to the paddock wall.

"It went that badly?"

"Yeah, that woman had control issues."

"Like I said, she's a predator Owen, and not one you are equipped to handle."

Owen rolled his eyes pulling the large breaker switch and flooding the paddock in artificial light. "I'm equipped just fine thank you very much. I just wasn't ready for her and it won't happen again. Now, chatting aside, get your ass down here, I don't want to give her any ammo for this damned survey."

Owen heard Barry's laugh through the radio. "Alright, I'm on my way, but you owe me a drink for making me work this late, and because I told you so."

"Whatever, just get over here. We have work to do."

Sliding the radio back onto his belt, the handler stepped into the caged 'airlock', closing the door behind him. He gave a sharp whistle and approached the inner gate. This was a break from routine and Owen wasn't about to enter without alerting the girls first.

Blue was the first to materialize from the paddock foliage. The raptor approached him slowly, giving him soft trills as her head cocked curiously.

"Hey girl."

She pushed the top of her head against the barred gate, offering him a purrl in greeting. He placed his hand lightly on the top of her head, scratching the bony ridges above her eyes.

"Sorry to wake you, Barry and I are going to work tonight. We'll try not to disturb you, but I'll be in the paddock." His tone was soft and even.

The raptor let out a soft warble that developed into a more stressed hiss, pressing her head even more tightly against the bars as the trainer ran his hand across the top of her head. Her tail twitched back and forth. She eyed him with a suspicious look, her pupils dilating as she focused on him. Owen whispered to her, speaking about the night, and what would be going on.

He didn't usually talk to his girls, they were smart, and he knew they could understand his commands, but that was training, not communication. The trainer had no inclination that the raptor before him understood his words. What he did know was that she understood his tone, his stance, and his movements. It was their own communication, he read their behaviors and they learned his. In a way it was far more complex than spoken word or barking calls.

Right now, he needed his girls calm, he needed them to accept him and ignore him as he worked with Barry. They were stepping out of the safety of daily routine. That paired with the disastrous evening behind him and the stressful morning ahead put the trainer on edge and he knew that the Velociraptors would mirror that.

Even now, the other raptors were stepping out of the brush eyeing him at the gate with varied looks of curiosity and nervousness. Owen paused, pulling his hand away from Blue. The tired trainer took a deep breath and pushed the soured evening from his mind, ignoring the pressure that would come in the morning. He needed to focus, and let himself just work on the task at hand.

With a calm breath, he pushed the gate button, letting the heavy barrier lift up, leaving him open to the pack. A blue streaked head immediately pushed against his gut as the raptor rubbed against him, leaving the musty earthen smell of the pack on his clothes. Owen gave a lopsided smile, letting himself enjoy being around the raptors once more. His worries melted as he walked into the clearing with a smooth gait.

Barry had arrived twenty minutes later and they got to work. The duo cleaned and inspected every surface, crack, and panel of the large enclosure. Owen worked inside the paddock with calm precision learned from years spent on a naval vessel. Barry handled the exterior, looking over every wall, access panel, and light. The pack quickly lost interest in the men, retreating into the shadows of the foliage.

The large flood lights stayed on the paddock for most of the night as the men worked. Finally around four thirty in the morning, they shut everything down and retreated to the outbuilding to catch a nap before morning broke. Barry crashed on the dusty couch and Owen took the floor, his head resting on the duffel bag holding most of his clothes. They were both asleep within minutes.

Owen awoke to the sound of his friend's soft snoring and the faint crumble of tires moving on loose earth. The trainer shot up, looking around the darkened outbuilding. His eyes locked on the clock and he felt a sigh of relief escape his mouth. It was only eight forty-five. They didn't have much time, but they weren't late either. Getting up, he gave Barry a push on the shoulder, waking the man before heading to the bathroom.

Owen stepped out of the outbuilding a few minutes later, straightening his shirt and squinting into the morning light. The vehicle he had heard was parked nearby. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he made his way to the parked vehicle.

It was a standard park SUV, but InGen's A.C.U. logo decorated the front door panels. As Owen approached, the driver's door opened and a man he didn't recognize stepped out. He was just a bit shorter than Owen, and he wore the InGen Security uniform with a visible A.C.U. patch on his shoulder. His gloved hand reached out to shake Owen's.

"Katashi Hamada. InGen Security and Asset Containment Unit Commander."

His handshake was firm and Owen smiled as he shook it back. "Owen Grady. What can I do for you today?"

"Just here to observe and make notes on security sir. Vic would be here himself, but he was called away on a project off island."

"Please, just call me Owen. I'm retired."

"Very well." He looked over to the paddock. "How are things going out here? There's been plenty of rumors about the animals in paddocks one through four."

Owen turned, motioning the officer to follow him as he walked toward the paddock stairs. "I'll be honest Mr. Hamada. I haven't heard any rumors about my girls. What stories are going around?"

"Oh, the usual. We hear it a lot when we deal with predators. Someone has been eaten or maimed, the animals have escaped, or mutated horribly. It's just chatter by the park staff. Honestly the only one I ever heard was some kid jumping into a paddock and getting eaten. People are crazy."

Owen chuckled a bit and rubbed some sleep from his eyes. "Believe me, I know it." He climbed the stairs with the officer in tow, taking his comfortable spot on the railing. "So, do you have any idea what is going to happen today?"

"No sir, I'm just here to observe and make note of any security problems. Ms. Dearing is running the show."

"That's what I was afraid of." Owen replied with a grimace.

Barry joined them on the paddock catwalks a few minutes later, leaning against the railing as a small convoy of official park vehicles entered the clearing that housed the paddock. The vehicles parked alongside the others and a small group of people emerged. Claire Dearing quickly took the reins and guided the group towards the paddock.

As they walked up, Claire was speaking to the group. The conversation felt foreign to him, but he recognized a few scraps of the conversation, picking out terms like 'investment returns', 'park growth', and 'assets'. The trainer's eyes narrowed as Claire led the group to the top of the stairs.

"Mr. Hamada, thank you for joining us on such short notice."

"It's no problem ma'am. Just doing my job."

Claire nodded her head, turning to Owen with a professional gaze. "Mr. Grady. I would like to introduce you to some of Jurassic World's key investors and representatives. They will be joining us this morning to observe your methods and practices." She gestured at the group behind her. "If you and Mr. Sy will simply go about your morning routine, we will watch and ask questions if needed." She turned back to the group of suited individuals. "I apologize for Mr. Grady's unprofessional appearance. I can assure you that when this attraction opens; he, or whoever else may be handling these assets will be dressed in a full park uniform."

Owen turned away, his teeth grinding a bit as he forced himself to ignore Claire's jab. He walked across the catwalk and grabbed the red bucket. He wasn't a park handler and he didn't even own a full park uniform. He was a researcher, he would wear whatever helped him do the job best, not that she would ever understand. He shook his head. He had a job to do, and he needed to focus.

"Hey!" Owen's voice rang out firmly over the large enclosure.

Several seconds later, Blue ambled out of the foliage, followed quickly by Delta, Charlie and Echo. Owen heard a slight gasp from a member of the group to his left. He smiled a bit.

Blue was watching him with interest, her amber eyes sparkling with interested as they jumped from him to the group nearby. She let out a bark, her head snaking back to look at the rest of her pack as they stood behind her.

"Eyes on me."

Blue's eyes locked onto his, the rest of the pack quickly following suit. The pack focused on him a chorus of expectant hisses and warbles echoing through the enclosure as the sharp click of Owen's clicker sounded.

He tossed each girl a treat, calling their name as he did so. Blue knew her name, but the others were still learning, needing the reinforcement of repetition to help it sink in.

"That's incredible." A low voice exclaimed from the group watching him. "You've tamed them."

Owen shook his head. "It's nothing. This is a simple Pavlovian response. Everything I just did was a learned behavior because I've reinforced it every day for nearly half a year." He looked down at the pack below him. "Most of what I do each morning is just repetitions of this behavior. Occasionally we add something new, but it's not a quick process and this is as far as we've gotten."

He could hear the group murmuring and whispering amongst themselves. "But these assets are trainable, right Mr. Grady?" Claire's voice rose above the rest, an expectant sharpness in her words. There was that word again and Owen felt his shoulders tense and his jaw set just a bit.

"We aren't sure yet Ms. Dearing. If I had make an educated guess. I would say no. Just like modern predators, these are wild animals that have an overpowering instinct. We can push that instinct towards our goals, but we can never overcome it or force them to go against it."

"But you got them to listen to you just now. Surely that means that they can be trained, even tamed given time." This was a male voice hidden in the back of the group.

"These animals will  _Never_  be tame. Hell, it's unlikely they will ever respond to anyone but me or maybe Barry.

"And why do you believe that Mr. Grady?" Claire asked, folding her arms and giving him a hard look.

"Because I'm a part of the reinforcement. Barry and I have been the sole provider of food for them throughout the majority of their entire lives. We are a part of the criteria for their acceptance of our commands."

The skeptical look from Claire told him everything she was thinking.

"Claire, would you mind stepping over here, so I can prove this to all of you?" His tone was even, but a little strained.

"Please, call me Ms. Dearing, Mr. Grady." As the woman stepped forward, he felt his neck stiffen, the muscles in his back tighten. He stepped aside, letting the biggest frustration in his life step up to the railing.

"Ms. Dearing" the trainer emphasized her name. "Please take my clicker and do exactly as I did just now."

She snatched the clicker from him and glared down at the Velociraptors below. Blue glared right back. Owen had noticed her focus shift the moment Claire had approached the bucket. He could just hear the low growl that was beginning to emanate from the streaked raptor.

"Eye's on me." Claire's voice was cold and commanding.

Blue's gaze never left the woman. The other Velociraptors glanced at her briefly, but she couldn't hold their attention.

"Eyes On Me." She repeated, emphasizing each word coldly.

Blue's gaze hardened a bit. The growl turning to a low hiss as the woman commanded them yet again. The grey-blue raptor's vocalizations drew the attention of the other raptors, Charlie pressing against Blue, Delta and Echo moving up towards the catwalk where Claire stood. Four sets of eyes fixed themselves onto the woman in the suit jacket.

Claire froze. She stared back at the predators and Owen could see the faintest tremble run up her arm. Owen cracked a thin smile, maybe she did have a little common sense. Blue's hiss was joined by Delta's and Owen's smile faded.

"Dammit Claire, click the clicker already!"

CLICK

"Good, now toss a couple treats to them. They earned it after all."

The Operations Manager glanced down into the red bucket and grimaced before dropping the clicker inside and walking away hurriedly. Owen rolled his eyes and pulled the thawed rats out of the bucket, tossing one to each raptor as he called their name.

Out of the corner of his eye, Owen saw a man step forward from the group. He was balding, the receding brown hair becoming wispy at the top of his head. He nervously stepped forward and held his hand out to the trainer.

"Mr. Grady. My name is Oliver Fields, I represent the combined interests of the Target Corporation. We have been following your project for some time." He paused, searching for his next words. "I understand that your raptors may not be trainable, but will they be presentable in the park? Are they safe?"

Owen snorted, looking away. "Hell no." That had earned him a harsh glare from Claire. "Mr. Fields, are you aware of the incident that happened on this island years ago? These are the smartest predatory animals I have ever worked with. Their ability to solve problems and exploit weaknesses is unmatched in the animal kingdom. If you want my honest opinion, they may be slightly trainable, but I don't think they will ever be safe enough for public viewing."

Claire stepped up next to the investor. "I can assure you Mr. Fields that while Mr. Grady's words may have a ring of truth, he is also unaware of the security measures we incorporate into each exhibit that specifically meet the danger that may be present around these animals."

She turned to the group. "I can think of our greatest asset as an example. The Tyrannosaurus Rex has lived in her exhibit for nearly seven years now. We have never had an incident resulting in more than a few cuts and bruises. Our designers and construction teams research the exhibit designs heavily before the first concrete is laid. Jurassic World has been and will continue to be the safest park in the world, even with the eventual additions of a few Velociraptors."

Her reassurances were met with grumbles and sideways comments which earned Owen another quick glare from the red headed business woman before she smiled back at the group. "Mr. Grady, would you mind showing us the lower gate? I believe some of our investors would like to see these assets a little closer so they can see how safely constructed our paddocks are."

"Fine, but if any of you are at all nervous, I need to ask you to stay behind the outer bars. My girls are sensitive to nervousness, it can trigger a predatory response in a couple of them if you get too close." The trainer smiled a bit as he saw several faces pale slightly. Without waiting for Claire's further approval, he led the group down the stairs and to the 'Airlock'.

Four of the investors waited behind the safety of the second row of bars, two others, Claire, and Mr. Hamada joined him inside the large caged room. The investors that had entered took up spots near the back of the cage with Mr. Hamada while Claire joined Owen towards the front of the cage where his girls could approach them.

Owen gave a sharp whistle. He knew his girls were already watching them, but he wanted to see if they would come closer to investigate the intruders in their space. Sure enough, Blue was the first to approach. The large raptor stood tall as she approached them, and Owen realized that she was now head height with him when standing normally. They truly had become large predators.

Oddly enough Blue stopped several feet from the caged gate, lowering her head and giving a sharp hiss before retreating. The other three that had been following paused but didn't retreat, looking to the streaked raptor and giving her inquisitive barks.

He saw Claire take a step back as the raptors communicated. It was odd behavior, even for his girls. If they didn't like someone, they were quick to show it, usually aggressively, but they, especially Blue, never retreated. It was weakness.

Blue was chittering to the other raptors, her tail twitching in agitation as she began looking from side to side. Owen watched her curiously, hoping to figure out what was going on.

It was when the wind shifted that the answer finally clicked with the handler. When the coastal breeze died down a bit, he caught a whiff of Vanilla. It was subtle, but it was there. Taking a few more testing sniffs Owen realized that it was whatever perfume Claire was wearing.

A childish smile grew on his lips and he leaned over to the Operations Manager. He spoke quietly, but just loud enough to be overheard. "Ms. Dearing could you take a step back? My girls are very sensitive to smells."

The reaction had been everything he was hoping for.

xxxxxxxxxx

Ten minutes later, the investors were satisfied with Owen and his paddock. The trainer waved to Mr. Hamada as he sat back in his vehicle before turning to the investors. Shaking their hands, he escorted them back to their vehicles before being grabbed by Claire.

"Look I'm sorry, but it's the truth! Velociraptors have incredible olfactory glands."

"Mr. Grady! I am not the one who smells perpetually of dirt and mold."

"It's actually a-"

"I don't care what it is, that is not why I am pulling you aside, although I do not appreciate it in the slightest. Come with me." The red headed woman turned and stalked towards the paddock's outbuilding. She threw open the door with a loud crash. "What the hell is this? Have you been living here?"

Owen paled a bit, reaching up and nervously running his hand through his hair. "I've stayed here a couple nights, usually when I have a lot of work to do, or a paddock survey to prepare for in under twelve hours."

"Mr. Grady, Paddock Outbuildings are strictly designed as working break rooms, not makeshift apartments."

"And the staff apartments are on the other side of the island."

"Mr. Sy seems to be handling it well enough." She stopped him before he could speak again. "Clean up this room Mr. Grady. Jurassic World assigned you an apartment, and I would rather not waste that space. If I find out you've been using work assets for personal use again, I will make sure that you will regret it. Now, come with me, I have one more thing to discuss with you."

Claire led the handler back into the paddock 'Airlock' and pointed to the control panel. "What the hell is this?"

"That would be the gate controls." Owen replied bluntly.

Claire rolled her eyes. "I'm aware of that Mr. Grady, why have you been tampering with it?"

"We didn't tamper with it. We moved it."

"Why did you move it, do you understand the security risk you took just in disabling this device to move it."

"I am." Owen nodded back, folding his arms. "We moved it because Blue can reach it."

Claire gave him a skeptical look.

"Claire, I know you know how intelligent raptors can be, it was well documented after the Jurassic Park incident. Is it really a stretch to believe a raptor could learn to press a button?"

The Operation Manager sighed. "In the future, please contact the InGen Security Division before you make changes to this paddock. Any further intentional breaches of security will result in a temporary suspension and possible termination. And please contact Timack Construction before you build any more 'additions' to the paddock." She gestured to the squeeze chutes and steel muzzles. I am going to send one of the foremen over to inspect your work. If it's not up to code, I am going to need a formal report and asset request in order to build a proper system for you to use. I have already reported these safety violations with Mr. Hamada, they will be reviewed and you will be notified if there is to be any further consequences."

"Ms. Dearing?" Katashi Hamada stood on the other side of the cage door, now dressed in full A.C.U. operations gear.

"Yes Mr. Hamada, is something wrong?"

He nodded, "I need you and Mr. Grady to come with me, it's urgent."

"What's going on?"

Hamada's face dropped to a slight frown as he adjusted his ballistics vest. "We have a containment breach and it's not an herbivore."


	20. Investigations

 

The rifle bolt slid smoothly out and Owen watched as a round slid into the chamber before he pushed the bolt back over it, locking everything in place. He closed his door and stood next to the SUV his eyes scanning the jungle surrounding the large clearing around Research Paddock number four. It looks just like his paddock. Same dimensions and layout, the only differences were location and the fact that this was the source of the containment breach.

Mr. Hamada had briefed them on the way.

"The Park Control Room has just received word that four Velociraptors have escaped their paddock. I've been instructed to take you back to the Control Room." The officer nodded his head to Claire. "And I'm requesting your professional advice in helping return these animals to their paddock."

"There are really other Velociraptors on the island? I though Vic was just blowing smoke to keep me in line."

"No sir, he was telling the truth, these are the real deal; which is why we want your help."

"Which group are they and where are they now Mr. Hamada?" Claire interjected with a professional tone, pulling out her phone as the SUV bounced along the dirt road heading towards the park.

"They broke out of Paddock number four ma'am. There are three casualties, two paddock workers are in critical condition and one didn't make it. Control is showing the trackers heading north, towards the edge of the research zone."

"Good, they are avoiding the park." Putting her phone to her ear she glanced out the window as the jungle whipped by. "Yes, I need you to contact the researchers on the northern half of the island. There's been a containment breach.

No.

No it's not serious.

Mr. Cruth-.

Lowery! I need you to listen. NO. History is not repeating itself. This is not the first breach, and it won't be the last, now calm down. I need you to contact the scientists on the north side of the island and ask them to calmly make their way to the resort.

No, look I know this is your first week.

I-

Lowery! The assets are moving north near the island center. If they take the beach roads, then they should be able to avoid any problems. If anyone is unable to do that, send them to the old docks. A.C.U. will have a boat waiting for them." The red head glanced at the driving A.C.U. officer who nodded in confirmation. "Okay, listen, if you can't keep calm, ask Ms. Krill to do it for you. I'm on my way."

She ended the call before the man could respond. Shaking her head, she looked over to the driver. "Mr. Hamada, as soon as everyone is safely evacuated from the research zone. I want you to lock down this section of the island." She turned to Owen who was seated in the back. "Mr. Grady, I want you to assist A.C.U. in any way possible, and I want you two to retrieve my assets alive."

Owen groaned. "Claire. I-"

"Mr. Grady." She growled.

"Ms. Dearing." The trainer said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea. These are intelligent animals who know how to track, stalk, and hunt prey with incredible precision. They've already hurt people, even killed someone."

"I am aware of that Mr. Grady. What do you propose we do?"

"You put them down."

"Absolutely not."

"It's the only safe option, Claire and you know it."

"I'm surprised you would even suggest that Mr. Grady, given our conversations on the matter." The operations manager commented without looking back at Owen.

"Our conversations are about the well being and care of these animals. What I'm suggesting now is removing a threat before it can take more lives."

"Mr. Grady as unfortunate as the loss of life is, the workers involved, knew the risks when they began, just like you."

Owen snorted. "Which means, they were probably knew as much about them as I do, and it still didn't help them. What you are asking is needlessly dangerous."

"What I'm asking is that you help bring millions of dollars back under Jurassic World's control. A.C.U. is trained to handle this sort of thing and containment breaches are not new. Mr. Grady, I'm not asking you to capture them yourself. I'm asking you to provide your knowledge to assist A.C.U. in what they are trained to do. Your input may save lives."

"And your stubbornness is going to cost them!" Owen grumbled as the SUV slowed.

Claire ignored the frustrated man, opening the door as they stopped before the Control Room's back entrance. "Mr. Hamada, recapture my dinosaurs. Alive."

Katashi nodded. The door closed and the vehicle lurched forward.

"Mr. Hamada, you have to know how risky it is to be recapturing these animals. Right?"

The man nodded, his face stony as he gripped the steering wheel. "I know it's risky, but we can't resort to killing these animals immediately. We at least have to try to contain them first."

"Fine." Owen conceded. "But if the attempt even looks like it might fail, you need to retreat and plan lethal force. These animals learn Mr. Hamada, the same strategies won't work twice. They're predators driven by instinct, but they aren't dumb, and they can think strategically, I've seen my pack do it plenty of times. IF you want to catch them, we will have to out think them."

"I take it you have some ideas Then?"

* * *

"Fan out, secure the perimeter. Trackers show nothing nearby, but I don't want to get surprised!"

Owen moved alongside the unit of armed men as they approached the quiet paddock. They needed to investigate the paddock and ensure that it would be safe to return the animals there in the first place. If not, then they would need to find a backup measure for long term containment.

As they approached, Owen caught his first whiff of blood. The sharp odor drifted lazily through the air, but it wasn't fetid, it was still drying from an incident that had occurred only a short time ago. The trainer was familiar with the smell, his time overseas introducing him to plenty of undesirable sights and sounds. His rifle raised to a ready position on instinct alone.

The paddock really was exactly like his, though it lacked the squeeze chutes he and Barry had added. The personnel door that opened the 'airlock' to the outside door was swung open. The team moved quietly up to the large cage, their paramilitary training creating natural formations.

"Well we know how they got out." Owen muttered looking at the scene before him.

Both the large gate and the personnel door were open. The raised gate and its control panel were covered in blood. Owen felt his gut heave when his eyes fell to the floor. He never did get used to gruesome sights. Feeding animals and hunting were one thing, but it was another thing entirely to look at the remains of a man's rib cage and torso. There wasn't much left. His girls had always been good at stripping a carcass, other raptors wouldn't be much different.

One dead, two more in critical; he shook his head. Pulling his eyes up from the bones and remaining viscera, he stepped into the paddock enclosure. The others followed him, fanning out to check for any animals within the enclosure. Each person moved, tension palpable through the group as they searched every inch.

As Owen moved through the brush and foliage, he could still smell blood. It was stale, but it was there, a sure sign of carnivores. Every few steps his foot would break a small bone or kick some dried dirt. Each time the handler froze, his rifle up as he waited to hear or see something coming. He only lowered his rifle when he reached the far wall, coming out of cover next to Katashi.

"All clear sir." One of Hamada's men finally reported to the Unit commander standing beside Owen. Both men visible relaxed, the tension in their shoulders dropping as their weapons fell into a more relaxed hold. Katashi nodded to the man. The area was secure.

"Sanders, go to storage room around back and pull up the security files, I want to find out exactly what happened here."

The man nodded to Mr. Hamada before turning to exit the enclosure the way they had come. Owen's eyebrow raised. "Couldn't that be done at the control room?"

The shorter man shook his head. "If we were in the park, sure. But running wires to each paddock would be far too expensive and the wireless doesn't reach this far yet. As of right now, our security systems are locally recorded."

"So someone has to access it manually?"

Again the man shook his head. "Not quite; every evening the data that has been recorded is broadcast to one of the InGen security satellites that passes over the island. It's not ideal, but it's functional, and each night the security feeds are uploaded to the servers in our offices."

Owen nodded in understanding. "But we don't have time to wait that long."

"Exactly." Katashi shifted into a more comfortable stance. "While we wait, can you run me through what you're seeing? Any information will be helpful at this point and you are the expert right now."

Owen glanced around the paddock, a frown forming on his face. "There's not a whole lot, but a few things do stick out."

The unit commander's eyebrow raised, but he let Owen speak.

"Well, to start with the obvious, this is definitely a raptor paddock. The grooves and markings in the dirt are the same as in my paddock. The scat is also the same as my girls." He paused, looking around at the lines of dried urates and dried piles of scat with a grimace. "But that's the problem, there's way too much of it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, no one has cleaned this paddock in a long time. The scat is everywhere. In my experience, Velociraptors have a communal bathroom. I've cleaned it plenty of times to know that they choose one or two spots and go there exclusively. This, the urates and fecal material spread everywhere, the raptors must have given up. Without someone to clean it up or natural processes to do the job, it must have piled to a point where they stopped choosing a location. That's not all though. Do you smell that?"

Hamada sniffed the air, his nose scrunching just a bit at the sharp smell. "Blood, from the gate."

Not quite, the blood we're smelling is too old, it's lost its metallic kick. It's decomposed and grown stale. I also stepped on a number of bones as we crossed the paddock."

"So? They're carnivores. Blood and bones comes with the animal care right?"

"That's right, but we clean thoroughly and consistently. Barry and I make sure to clean our paddock almost religiously. This stale odor and numerous bones, Katashi, I don't think anyone has cleaned this place in months. This odor would drive me crazy, and raptors have an incredible nose. It had to be affecting them negatively."

Hamada's radio crackled. "Sir the footage is ready."

Both men nodded and Hamada let them know the duo was coming. Both men made their way through the paddock and carefully stepped around the carnage at the gate. The men made their way quickly around the side wall, stepping into the attached rooms that served as food prep, storage, and apparently local security records.

Lieutenant Sanders stood near the back of the room focused on a rugged laptop that sat on stacked boxes. As Owen approached, he saw that it was connected to several input ports near the top of the back wall.

Mr. Hamada joined him. "Show us what you've got Ben."

The video that began to play was from a camera nestled in the back corner of the 'airlock' as it looked to the outer door. Most of the cage was visible, the controls on the gate barely visible at the top left corner of the footage. Owen watched, but everything seemed still. The small group watched for nearly a minute. Then he saw it.

"There" Owen pointed to the control panel as Ben stopped the playback.

Mr. Hamada leaned in. "Son of a-"

"Is that a talon?" Ben asked, pushing himself closer to the screen.

"Damn right it is." Owen stepped back, letting the officers get a closer look. "My girls tried this a couple weeks ago. Scared the shit out of us." Owen paused, his tone dropping to a more somber level. "Looks like these girls figured it out as well."

Neither men responded; but Ben resumed the footage playback. All three watched as the day's events unfolded silently before them.

The Velociraptor had reached through the bars of the gate, her long slender arms scraping and scuffling against the gate controls. After several attempts, her sharp talons had finally pressed the button and Owen watched the reptilian arm jerk back off-screen.

It was mere seconds later when they saw a larger, panicked looking man in an InGen coverall burst through the personnel door and rush towards the gate controls. The Velociraptor met him before he could reach them though. Biting deeply into the man's shoulder has she threw her entire weight onto him and Owen winced as her killing talons sunk into the man's stomach. The rest of the pack wasted no time getting involved, brutally attacking the downed man.

They were efficient though, and while it made him a bit sick to his stomach, he knew how efficiently raptors could clean their kill. Owen guessed that the entire scene lasted less than five minutes.

As they were finishing their impromptu meal, the trainer could see all four raptors become distracted by something off-screen. They abandoned what was left and nudged the open personnel door, before rushing out together.

"There's where we get our other two people in critical condition" Owen muttered, turning from the screen."

Mr. Hamada stepped back and pulled his radio out. "Control room do you copy?"

"We copy A.C.U." A male voice crackled back. "What do things look like out there? Should we abandon all hope?"

"Cut the crap Lowery. Is Ms. Dearing there?"

A female voice cut in. "I'm here Mr. Hamada. What do you need?"

"The paddock is secure and should be able to contain the animals with some minor adjustments."

"Very good, do you need anything else?"

"No ma'am. Just make sure someone stays in the control center to monitor the raptors position. I don't want them sneaking up on us."

"Mr. Cruthers is at your disposal until the situation is contained."

Lowery's voice cut back in. "That's right Mr. Hamada, I'll be your eye in the sky, so just give me a holler if you need anything."

The commander sighed. "Just keep me updated on their position Lowery." He placed his radio back on his belt and looked to Owen. "The wrist trackers cannot get here soon enough." Owen gave the man a curious look and Mr. Hamada added, "They are in their final prototyping at InGen. One day soon, we won't have to rely on a radio and coordinates when we are in the field."

Grabbing his radio once more, the commander stepped out of the storage room. "Containment Unit One, fall in at the paddock gate. It's time to get started."

The men were waiting for them in front of the gated area. Mr. Hamada wasted no time and quickly began to bark orders.

"Alright gentlemen! Today we are going to be rounding up one of the most dangerous animals on this island. The kicker is there are four of them. They have already killed one person and wounded two others so badly they needed to be flown out by chopper. These animals are not like the pachy's or trikes we deal with, they are predators and pack hunters." He motioned to Owen. "This is Owen Grady, he handles these animals and has even gotten them to respond to commands on occasion. He is our expert, so let him speak and pay attention. I don't want to have to call any of your families today."

Owen stepped forward at Mr. Hamada's gesture and looked to the group of men that made up Unit One. He had plenty to say about raptors, he only hoped that this group would listen.

xxxxxxxxxx

Twenty minutes later, Owen had explained everything he felt would be valuable information towards the task at hand. To their credit, the men had listened quietly, asked valuable questions and taken his cautions seriously. He was still worried about the monumental task ahead, but these men seemed like a capable group that could follow instructions and think critically.

"Charlie Team!" Katashi's voice brought Owen out of his thoughts. "I want you to stay here and clean up this mess. Make sure you move the control panel. These creatures are smart, if we can get them back into the paddock, I don't want them getting out again." Four individuals nodded curtly and stepped back towards the paddock.

"Bravo Team! You are going to go with Owen to track these raptors down. Keep him safe. He's in charge, he asks you to jump; you say 'how high?'" When you find your targets, radio in and do not engage. Alpha team! You boys are coming with me. We are going to provide support for Bravo team." Both teams nodded.

"Alright boys, let's get moving and remember what Grady said. Don't underestimate these animals, they can behave like a military trained group."

The group gave a deciding shout before each team broke off. Mr. Hamada and Alpha team heading for the SUVs, Charlie team retreating back to the paddock, and Owen's group approaching a set of ATVs. The quads were designed to carry equipment and materials for the paddock. He and Barry had a few parked behind their own paddock, though they rarely used them, the company SUVs could carry far more and Barry preferred his own motorcycle.

Owen slug his rifle onto his shoulder and mounted one of the quads, the rest of his team following suit. The vehicles roared to life before quieting into a mild roar.

"Mr. Grady!"

Owen turned to look at one of the men on his right. "Yeah? What is it?"

"So were' just going to ride out there and hunt this pack down?" His voice betrayed the man's nervousness. He was younger, probably a newer recruit into A.C.U.

Owen snorted "We'd have better luck finding a snowball in hell kid." At the young man's quizzical look he responded by revving the quad to kick it into gear. He looked over with a grim smile. "We're not hunting them kid. We're the bait."


	21. Hunted

 

This was by far the worst plan he had ever come up with. Owen and the five other members of Bravo team had just arrived at the boundary fence between the research zone and the area they were currently in that the trainer had nicknamed the paddock belt. The fence itself was a towering mass of steel bars and woven steel netting designed to keep the largest of dinosaurs contained, but still allow for smaller game to pass through.

It had only taken the group about five minutes to reach the fence line. The quads slowed to a crawl before stopping at the intersection of the small trail they had been travelling and the maintenance road running alongside the massive barrier. Leaving the vehicles to Idle, Owen climbed off and pulled his rifle out to peer down the scope.

The barrier and the road that paralleled it both meandered through a large grassy valley following the area's natural terrain. Tall grasses lined either side of the fence, and further to his left, the jungle broke into the grasslands creating an edge that wound its way across the landscape.

"Give me an update on their position. How far are they from the crossroads?" The handler called out without taking his eyes off the horizon. Behind him, he heard one of the officers, Hector Reyes if he remembered correctly, relay his question into the radio.

"Control says they are about a klick west of our location. They've stopped moving west."

"Good." Several minutes ago, Control had informed them that the raptors had reached the barrier fence, and rather than try to cross it, they had decided to run its length. It was not the ideal situation. Crossing the barrier meant fewer people the animals could run into. However, Owen had learned that intelligent animals rarely acted the way humans believed they would. Exhaling deeply Owen continued. "Tell them to let us know the moment the raptors begin moving again."

The officer nodded and pulled his radio back to his mouth.

Owen gave a grunt, looking to the west. There were more paddocks that way, more people, and more danger. Nothing dangerous to the park or the public yet, but if it had been up to him, he would have begun evacuating all personnel from the Paddock Belt. It wasn't up to him though. He was just responsible for catching these animals. Alive.

Looking down his scope with a renewed interest he watched for any signs of movement in the grasses or the jungle foliage. The trainer had a sharp eye, he needed one to watch his animals, but he still couldn't pinpoint any movement that would indicate the predators they were after.

He grumbled to himself and lowered his rifle. Turning to the group, he flipped the weapon and secured the strap to his shoulder. "Alright, we move one hundred meters up and hold position. We wait until we spot them or until Control tells us they are on the move again."

Five head nods answered him. Returning to his idling machine, he slid on and revved the engine until it kicked into drive.

The small group of quad bikes made their way cautiously up the road. Owen watched the landmarks carefully, looking for any signs of the predators. They were somewhere up ahead, but he didn't know where, and that worried him. He had made it abundantly clear to the group as the moved in that the Velociraptors probably already knew their position. The animals would be hunting them before they were even ready to be bait.

He held up his hand in a fist and let the ATV coast to a stop. This was close enough.

The plan was simple. The group would gain the attention of the Velociraptors and lead them back to the paddock where Charlie Team would be waiting to assist with herding the animals back into their enclosure. It was a harebrained plan that relied far too much on luck and the questionable effectiveness of non-lethal ordinance, but it was all they had at the moment.

The animals were a part of the same experiment his pack was involved in. Claire had pointed out that they would likely be trained if their handler's reports were true. But there handler was dead, he had not seen these reports and somehow he doubted Claire read them herself. He wasn't about to rely on that to bring these animals in, it would be suicide.

Instead, he had calmly informed her what they would be doing to recover her 'assets'. If he was forced to recapture them, then he would take his father's advice. Training meant nothing in the face of instinct and hunting would be one of the strongest instinctual draws a Velociraptor could have. So, they would be bait. Soft, tasty, armed to the teeth bait.

Claire had balked at the last part, but Owen reminded her that it was Bravo Team sticking their neck out here and he wasn't about to face off against the greatest predator without his own set of claws. Charlie Team and Alpha team would use non-lethal methods. Bravo Team was carrying live ammunition. It hadn't been a discussion.

"Give me an update on their position." He finally said as the last vehicles pulled up.

"Seven hundred meters from the intersection and holding their position."

"Shit, they've moved towards us." Owen snatched the radio from the officer sitting on the quad beside him, growling into the mouthpiece. "Dammit Lowery, I asked you to tell me if they moved."

"I'm sorry! They barely moved an inch on my screen!"

"I don't care. Your inch is nearly three hundred meters! That is the difference between life and death. Next time they move, you tell me immediately."

"Y-yes sir."

The handler tossed the radio back to Mr. Reyes. He turned to face the road west again and watched the grasses and foliage shift and sway in the breeze. The breeze moved swiftly across the island grasslands, and Owen watched it, looking for any movement going against the flow of the wind.

About a minute later, the wind shifted, blowing stiffly against his back. They were upwind. Maybe they could get the raptors attention more easily than he thought.

"Bravo Team, this is Alpha Team. We are prepped and on the way. E.T.A seven mikes."

Reyes voice responded "Copy that Alpha Team. Bravo Team is in position and ready to invite the guests."

Owen nodded and revved his engine kicking the quad into motion and spinning it around quickly on the wide maintenance road. The group quickly did the same and soon the entire team was faced east.

The handler craned his neck around to look behind him. Still no distinguishable movement. Giving a slight frown he asked. "Is everyone ready? When we get going, things will probably go fubar really quick."

The men nodded stiffly.

"Good. Stay close, and stay in the group. Predators try to separate their prey from the herd. We're a herd today, if you get separated, you will die." He heard an audible gulp from one of them. "Riders, watch the other vehicles. If they get separated, let everyone know. We won't stop, if we stop, we're dead, if anyone gets separated, call it in and we may still be able to regroup."

The man on his left looked pale. Owen sighed. "We're prey today, but we are not alone. These animals are dangerous, but hunting takes skill and practice. We are likely their first real hunt, so long as we work together and get back to the paddock, we should be alright."

It did little to calm the tension around him and it did little to calm his own nerves.

With nothing left to say and no movement on behind them, Owen decided there was no more time to buy, it was time to get the hunt started. The handler pulled the knife out of its sheath on his belt. Taking the fixed blade, he carefully pricked the tip of his finger, feeling the dull ache of the tiny wound. A tiny drop of blood swelled out of his skin.

He and Barry had been working on scent training his raptors, but the truth of it was that they were training the pack to follow a distinct scent to reach distinct rewards. This would be similar. The scent of blood led to an easy meal. It was instinct.

Holding his hand up and out of the way of the man seated behind him and the men next to him, he carefully brought the droplet to his face and gave a stiff exhale to blow the particles into the breeze. The droplet dispersed into a tiny spray and was gone.

The distinctive bark followed a few seconds later. The radio burst into static as Lowery confirmed the Raptor's hunting bark.

Bravo Team was already on the move, the engines roaring as the quads tore down the maintenance road.

* * *

Owen spared a glance behind him. Bravo team was packed tightly together hindering his view as he led the small herd of A.C.U officers. Behind them, a lone Velociraptor was catching ground as it sprinted down the flat road after them. The other would be nearby, hidden in the grass or the cover of the jungle.

Their turn off was just around the corner, the tiny trail would lead them alongside the jungle and toward the prepared paddock, but the narrow track would thin them into a line and make them more vulnerable.

He yanked the handlebars right and launched the ATV onto the smaller trail. Vines and leaves whipped by, catching the fenders and sometimes his arms as the trail plunged in and out of the jungle, running along the edge of the tree line.

A triumphant bugle drew his attention to the right.

A Velociraptor was ducking through the foliage, matching the groups pace.

A response bugle came from his left, hidden in the tall grasses.

This was  _by far_  the worst plan he had ever come up with.

They were herding him, biding their time. Distracting him.

He felt the quad lurch forward and the rear end fly up even as the though had crossed his mind. The ATV had just caught a large log and now he was airborne.

The handler and his rider were thrown from the vehicle and Owen felt the wind get pushed from his lungs as he tumbled to the ground. Stars exploded in his vision as his head hit the ground with force.

As soon as his body stopped moving, the trainer was throwing himself onto his feet, ignoring the biting migraine that exploded into his head due to the sudden movement. He didn't think, he responded, just has his military training had ground into him. He was standing, his rifle back in his hands and raised before his sense had even fully recovered.

His partner was on the ground, his instincts pushing him to get up like Owen. Hector made up to one knee and drew his sidearm, his rifle having been flung in the wreck. The trainer glanced down. The man's leg was broken, Owen cursed and looked back up, lining his sights on the surrounding area. To his astonishment, the two were not alone.

The other members of Bravo Team were around them, all of them off their ATVs and all of them forming a perimeter around the two downed men.

"Form up around me! Do not turn your back on them." His voice was rough, but he was simply grateful that the team had actually stopped for them. He honestly wasn't sure if he would have done the same. He watched as the four remaining men backed towards the center of their perimeter around him and Lieutenant Reyes.

When they had pressed close enough to the men, the youngest member of the team addressed him without turning from the tree line he was watching.

"What now. Mr. Grady?"

"I told you. If we stop, we die. So we're not going to stop. We are going to keep moving towards the paddock. We are less than a mile away."

He heard a hiss that was joined by other growls forming around them.

"Stay together! Move as a team and keep your back to the center of the group." He grabbed the kid and pulled him to the center of the perimeter, replacing him on the perimeter. "Richards!" he called back to the young man. "Help Reyes to his feet, if we're going to walk out of here, he's going to need help."

The group moved slowly as Richards helped the injured man move while Owen and the rest of the group moved tightly around them, keeping their rifles pointed out.

They had made it about one hundred feet when the first Velociraptor made itself known. The large predator stepped out onto the trail in front of them and gave a low but dangerous hiss, its talons digging furrows into the soft earth. Its sisters echoed the hiss, their predatory communication echoing from every angle around Bravo Team.

The raptor they could see was large. Her hide was a deep rust color, flecked with brown and the faintest hints of pale green along her sides and back. Her neck and sides were bruised randomly. Sick yellow and dark blue rings that blotched her scaly hid and made her side tremble slightly when she shifted her weight. Her head snaked from side to side as she eyed her potential meal and the meals that would feed her sisters. Owen knew immediately that they would not be moving from this spot. All they could do was bluff and prepared for the worst.

"Don't fire until you have a clear shot." They wouldn't be given time to reload, and the 9mm sidearm, likely wouldn't do much to the animal's thick hides.

It was a waiting game now. Each party was waiting for the other to make a move. Bravo Team was outmatched, and the Velociraptors were unsure of what Owen's team could actually do. Still, he watched the Velociraptor standing in front of them and it watched him.

He felt the team shifting back pushing into his own back. If he had to guess, the other raptors had made themselves known, but he wasn't about to break eye contact to check.

The sharp crackling buzz blared from the radios on each man's belt.

"Bravo Team-"

It was a trigger, that tiniest distraction and the world erupted into chaos.

The snarl and the hiss drowned all other noise from Owen as his finger instinctively pulled the trigger even as he began to pull the rifle around to stop the Velociraptor's vicious bite.

BANG

Owen was pushed to the ground, the rust colored jaws of the raptor locked around the barrel of the rifle. The animal snarled, ignoring bloody red groove that now marred the left side of her face.

He could hear screams behind him and felt the ground tremble as his teammates followed him to the ground.

He was pushing the jaws of the predator away as hard as he could but her teeth were still getting closer to his head. The raptor snorted in exertion, her hot breath leaving a pungent smell of flesh and decay.

She pushed harder, her snout just inches away from his neck. He felt her draw another hot breath as the trainer struggled beneath her power.

Then the rusty raptor took a step back, her jaws still holding the rifle. He watched her snort the air again, her nostrils flaring heavily as she tested the air before shaking her head.

Her hiss returned and she tensed up, readying herself to pounce.

Owen was trying to prepare for the attack, tensing himself in dire anticipation when he heard it.

The heavy whomp, whomp, whomp, of a chopper clearing the trees around the team.

The rusty raptor's head snapped to the new noise and she gave an alarmed screech as she stepped back to face her new challenger.

Owen sighed in relief as Alpha Team finally arrived and the pack of raptors gave sharp hisses before retreating quickly into the foliage. The mounted cannon spooled before releasing its low thrum as rounds were quickly fired into the cover where the animals had just ducked into.

They certainly weren't going to corral these animals, that was out of the question now; but Owen was more focused on the amazing fact that he was still alive.


	22. Sidelined

 

He was never a tactician. He had served in three tours overseas. Three tours of war and three tours that had taught him to work in a group, as a team. He had  _never_  been taught how to plan and execute his own military operations. He had participated in thousands, everything from drills to real wartime action. He knew how to act. Planning had been something new. Planning had gotten people hurt, one nearly killed, and four Velociraptors an extended pass to roam free throughout the paddock belt.

Hell, if he was honest, planning wasn't his strong suit in general. He operated on instinct. It was that gut feeling that drove him to act, often without thinking, and so often in just the right way. It had saved his life a number of times. It had even let him build a bond with a pack of prehistoric predators. But it was never planned. Barry planned things, made schedules, put things together. Owen acted. He made the calls, the gut instincts, he had the raw nerves that pushed him to protect his fire team, or jump into a pit full of predators. Planning went against that.

His planning had nearly killed Bravo Team.

They had escaped, thanks mostly to Alpha Team. Katashi Hamada had brought the helicopter and had extracted the team before anyone had died.

But not before anyone had gotten seriously hurt.

" _They'll be fine Mr. Grady_." Hamada's voice echoed in his mind as the trainer exited his paddock's outbuilding. " _It will take a few weeks for them to recover, but none of them are going to die._ "

It was a small comfort. Reyes would recover, his broken leg wasn't that bad. Clint Morris, the younger kid that had been so nervous, he would probably lose the use of his hand. The appendage had been hanging limply, covered in drying blood when Bravo Team finally stepped out of the chopper on the control center's landing pad. It was the closest to the clinic. He was still ashamed that he had only bothered to learn the kids name after he had been wheeled into surgery. It was a small mistake, but one that stung more than most. His own words echoed in his head.

" _Names help build a connection with them, distinguish them as more than just another animal in this park."_  He told Claire, not long ago, but he had forgotten those very words applied to humans as well. Why he had failed to take the time to learn about the members of Bravo Team, he didn't know, but he was determined to know them now.

His own head still hurt. His side hurt. Everything hurt with a dull throb. He had received four stitches on the back of his head, some powerful painkillers and been told to go home and get some rest. The doctors weren't the only ones to suggest it either.

He had been on his way out of Dr. English's office his head still reeling in a mixture of migraine and the sharp pain that worked its way past the local anesthetic, reminding him of the small stitches that kept his wound closed when Claire Dearing had pulled him aside.

Owen had let out a quiet sigh when he saw the disapproving look on her face. The trainer was not in the mood for a shouting match, but just didn't have the energy to put up defenses. So, instead of reacting, he had just fixed her with a tired look, ready to bear the brunt of her anger, if only it meant that he could retreat to bed sooner.

He was shocked when her face softened at seeing his demeanor. "Get some rest Mr. Grady; Mr. Hamada will take care of things from here on out." She had turned and walked away before he could respond, her hand gripping his shoulder lightly as she pushed past him.

Katashi had stopped him on the way out as well. Owen apologized to the officer but Hamada just shook his head with a grim smile.

"It'll be alright Mr. Grady. Bravo Team will recover, and I doubt they will hold it against you. They knew the risks and they know that you were right there with them. I've worked with men like you in my days on the SWAT team. You have your specialty and know it well."

He paused to grab a radio off his belt. "We can't always be 'jacks of all trades' Mr. Grady. You are a brilliant behaviorist and your predictions of the animal's reactions were spot on. You're just not a great tactical planner. Go home, get some rest, Vic will want to talk to you when he gets in. My team will handle the containment issues from here. Just keep this radio on, I may still need your advice out there."

Handing him the radio, Katashi Hamada had kindly pushed him out the clinic door and into the noonday sun.

A small part of him felt frustrated that he had failed in the first place, and even more so now that he would no longer be able to finish the job. However, a much larger part of him felt that his head hurt and he really just wanted to take a nap and let A.C.U. handle it.

He had collapsed on the outbuilding couch the moment he had arrived.

The trainer awoke to the late afternoon sun streaming through the cheap blinds. His head was still throbbing, an uncomfortable feeling that only grew worse when he sat up. Rubbing his eyes and giving a low groan, Owen forced himself up and pushed out the door into the hot afternoon air. His girls would likely be dozing in the paddock clearing, sunning themselves in the equatorial heat.

The tired handler ambled slowly towards the paddock. Blue would probably hold a grudge if he didn't make an effort to spend time with her. The rest of the pack wouldn't care too much, but Blue could be a little clingy. And vindictive. Frankly, more than any other reason, Owen hoped it would just get his mind off the events that had turned his day sour.

His Beta let out a welcoming trill as the trainer stepped through the cage gate his fingers brushing the gate release. The cobalt streaked raptor quickly stood from where she had been sunning herself. She approached the interior gate, her head cocking inquisitively as the trainer moved to meet her at the slowly raising bars between them.

Her demeanor changed the moment he was within reach.

A large snort escaped her flaring nostrils and her upper body lowered drastically into a defensive posture. The raptor's tail twitched nervously and her lips pulled back into a dangerous sneer. She continued to test the air around them with large breathy snorts. Her eyes never left the trainer and her talons sunk into the loose earth beneath her.

Owen tensed, his own body lowering into a ready position.

"Easy girl."

She sniffed the air a few more times and let a rumbling growl escape her throat that reminded him of the animals he had just faced earlier that morning. She was the same as the dangerous predator that had nearly killed him just hours ago. It was easy to forget sometimes. Charlie, Delta, and Echo, not so much, but Blue had always been more like him. More in tune with the human species she had imprinted on.

The trainer swallowed his nervousness. He'd felt this before on his tours overseas. She was not the same animal that had attacked him earlier. Same species, just as dangerous, sure. But she was not the same animal in the same position.

"Blue." His voice was calm. A pillar of stability that reminded his pack who he was.

The blue streaked raptor cocked her head, a questioning warble escaping as her body relaxed. Owen relaxed as well, a small smirk forming as he felt himself calming down and becoming more comfortable.

Blue took a hesitant step forward and the trainer felt her hot breath brush against his shirt as she sniffed him carefully. He stood still and let her work. He probably smelled very strange, some mixture of soldiers, stress, blood, engine exhaust, and wild raptor. If he had to guess, she was probably most interested in the raptor scents.

When she finished, the raptor went to work establishing her smell over the lingering scents on his clothes, her head snacking around and rubbing her scales along his clothes. When she finished, he was once again bathed in the musky, earthen odor that distinguished his pack. He smiled a bit and placed his hand on the crest of Blue's snout.

He hadn't smelled anything noticeable when Bravo Team faced the raptors. It was a stray thought, but one he was interested in researching later. His mother might know more.

A bark from Charlie drew the Beta raptor's attention from Owen. Both human and raptor turned to see Delta stalking towards them, having decided to leave her spot in the shade cast by the paddock foliage. She watched the trainer with a suspicious eye, her nose flaring as she tested the air around the trainer. Owen felt himself tense again. Delta had been getting better since they had begun working her, but she was still a wildcard to him.

The green raptor gave a low hiss but didn't direct it towards the trainer. Her head snaked around to observe the concrete walls. Echo quickly joined her, trotting up beside the green raptor and eyeing the human and the paddock walls as she mimicked her older sister. The rust colored raptor's hiss joined Delta's as they watched the walls for the intruders they could still smell.

It made Owen grateful for Blue's generosity with sharing the pack's scent. The raptors weren't attributing the foreign smells to him, thanks to Blue. Owen let out a slightly relieved breath. He didn't feel like challenging more raptors this evening. Finally both dinosaurs seemed to lose interest in the pair that stood before them, leaving Blue and Owen, more interested in following the paddock walls on a perimeter check.

He made a mental note of the two raptors as they trotted away, their tails swaying with their movements. Delta and Echo were close, acting more like siblings than any of the other inner relationships within the pack. Echo followed Delta with very little hesitation. Right now, both were antsy, Echo feeding on Delta's concern. Owen and Barry had talked about the rusty raptor's connection with Delta, it made her both predictable and dangerous.

The trainer rubbed his head absently, wincing a bit as his fingers brushed the stitches on the back of his head. It was nearly evening. Barry would be back soon to prepare the evening meal and hopefully the escaped raptors would be contained by nightfall.

As if on cue, the radio on his belt crackled to life.

"Owen Grady, you there?" Hamada's familiar voice crackled.

Owen sighed and looked over to the Beta raptor that was still by his side.

"Go" He said calmly, motioning towards the far end of the paddock.

The blue streaked raptor watched him with a cocked head, glancing only briefly to where he pointed. Owen, just groaned. It was a new command, one they had only introduced recently in their training. They still weren't quite getting the command, or more likely, Blue was just being stubborn since he had only entered the paddock a few minutes ago. Either way, the trainer was not in the mood to put up with it.

Taking the radio in one hand he backed into the airlock and pressed the gate to close it. The Blue raptor made a move to follow him but hesitated when his free hand raised, showing her his palm.

"I'm here. What's going on? Did you contain the raptors yet?"

"Not yet, but I told you I would call if I needed your expertise."

"Well I'm here, what do you need?"

"I need you to come to Research Paddock Three. I'm hoping you can tell me what's going on over here."

xxxxxxxxxx

It was nearly dusk by the time Owen pulled into the clearing that housed Research Paddock Three. After speaking with Hamada, the trainer had left a note for Barry, grabbed his rifle and driven to the other paddock. It was a ridiculous drive, with no roads that directly connected each research enclosure to the other, he had to drive down towards the center of the park until he hit the maintenance hub road.

As he parked the SUV, he was surprised to see the flurry of activity that moved throughout the clearing. Large lights flooded the area in the dimming light and A.C.U. officers milled throughout the clearing, relaxed but forming a clear perimeter.

Owen stepped out of his car and walked to the paddock that was identical to his. As he walked up he noticed that both the barred door and the inner gate stood open as officers moved in and out of the paddock comfortably. The paddock was empty of dinosaurs and as he stepped into the enclosure's 'airlock' he stepped carefully around raptor tracks that had been left in the soft sandy soil.

Tracks that led out of the enclosure and into freedom.

"Mr. Grady. Thank you for coming on short notice. I was hoping you could take a look at this and tell me what exactly is going on here."

"Did more Velociraptors escape?"

"Not this time, and that's what makes this so strange."

Owen just nodded, both relieved and intrigued. They didn't need two packs running through the island, but the tracks in the sand told a different story. Stepping through the interior gate and passing the unit commander.

Blood was the first thing to catch his eye. Most of the drying fluid had soaked into the sandy soil, clumping into crumbling stains that colored the paddock soil a darker brown. The blood wasn't human though, it was dinosaur, and Owen quickly made his way towards the nearest body that lay in the drying blood.

He recognized it as a Velociraptor, but only because of the shape. Beyond that, the animal was completely different from the pack in his paddock. These were different, unique, something he had never thought he would see on the island.

They were feathered. Not just a few stray quills randomly placed along the animal's body, these raptors were completely feathered. They were true genetic recreations as far as he could tell. He knew little about raptor genetics or history, but the articles had become plentiful when Jurassic World had opened, and he had read enough to know that feathered dinosaurs were the accurate creatures.

Owen looked up seeing the other two bodies. "What the hell happened here?" The trainer whispered to himself.

"I was hoping you might be able to tell us." Hamada responded, standing next to the handler.

Owen jerked his head around, scanning the area. "Wait, where are the keepers of this paddock?"

"We transported them to the clinic a few minutes ago after we got their statements. None of them were badly hurt, a few scrapes and bruises, one laceration, but both trainers managed to lock themselves in the prep room."

Owen grunted and knelt down next to the body, brushing the feathers lightly with his hand. The dinosaur was smaller than his girls. She probably would have stood as high as his waist had she been alive.

Overall, her body shape seemed to be the same as Blue or any of his girls, but with the feathers that lined her body, she looked distinctly more avian. The feathers that covered her body were a pale brown, mottled with darker and lighter streaks. The reminded him of the Red-Tailed Hawks he had worked with alongside his father.

He felt a pang of sadness as he looked at the smaller dinosaur. Her neck was broken, twisted at an odd angle and blood matted the feathers around the injury. He looked over the other two bodies, noting their similar injuries.

He stood silently and began to search the sandy clearing. This paddock was clean, well kept, and nicely maintained. It was hard to make out any tracks in the sandy soil. Heavy boots disturbed the ground around the bodies, destroying any signs nearby so the trainer had to broaden his search, deciding to walk the paddock's perimeter.

"Katashi, take a look at this." He called the commander over. "Look at the disturbances and the deep furrows in the ground over here, these are Velociraptor tracks, I see them every day in my paddock."

"They jumped into the paddock and killed the others. Then walked out the same way they escaped their own paddock. The security footage caught it all."

Owen glanced at the officer in confusion. "Yeah. Why do you need me then?"

"We need to know why. Why would a pack of raptors jump into another paddock, kill the inhabitants, other Velociraptors, and then simply leave?"

The trainer stood from where he had knelt near the disturbed earth, his brow furrowed in thought. "It could be as simple as looking different. The escaped raptors may not recognize these as their own species." Owen paused, "But I don't think that was it."

"What do you mean?"

"If our escaped raptors simply didn't recognize what these animals were, there is a good chance they may have eaten them, or at least made an effort to." He pointed to the bodies with a grim look. "I think they killed these animals in a territorial display. Can you show me the footage of the incident?"

"Sure, follow me."

Hamada led the trainer out of the paddock and back towards the small prep and storage room that was identical to the other paddocks. The metal door was dented inward, visible talon marks raked down the front, chipped into the paint. Stepping inside, Owen gagged a bit at the smell of fear and drying blood. There certainly wasn't much blood, but he could almost bet that one of the trainers had peed themselves.

"Sir?"

Hamada turned back to the doorway addressing the officer that had followed them in. "Go ahead."

"We just got a report from Control. The handlers for Research Paddock Number Two just contacted them, reporting Velociraptors outside their paddock."

"Damn. I was hoping we had more time. Where's Alpha Team?"

"Still on the way to paddock two. Roughly three mikes out.

Owen stepped up to the two armed officers. "Wait, they're at another raptor paddock?"

Hamada dismissed the officer, turning to the taller handler. "Yes, the animal's movement has been consistently west. When we arrived here, I dispatched Alpha Team to secure paddock two, just in case, though it looks like I wasn't quick enough."

"Katashi, I was wrong, this isn't just a territorial display. They're hunting their own kind. Eliminating threats to their pack." Owen could feel his blood pumping faster as he realized more and more what was going on. "Listen, I need you to dispatch a team to my paddock right now. It's reasonable to assume that paddock one will be their next target."

"Owen, I don't have a team to spare. Charlie Team is still cleaning up here, Bravo Team is unavailable, and I'm not going to abandon the people at paddock two by rerouting Alpha Team."

The trainer, gripped Hamada's shoulder tightly before pushing past him, the adrenaline kicking in. "Find me a team Hamada, I'm heading to my paddock now. We can trap these animals there, but I need a team to help me bag them once we have them!"

Owen heard the commanders groan and turned back to him with a small smile. "I'm not asking to lead them commander, I just need them there when the time comes! Keep me updated on paddock two!"

He turned and jogged towards his SUV. He wasn't a planner, but he now had a plan that he honestly believed could work.


	23. Stand Your Ground

 

It was after dark by the time Owen reached his paddock. The large lamps set atop the enclosure shone brightly and gave off a dull hum, bathing the paddock and the land around it in a cool, flat light and attracting swarms of insects to the light sources.

Owen barely put his car in park and killed the engine before he was out of the vehicle and rushing toward the enclosure. Barry met him halfway up the stairs, handing him one of the large bolt action rifles kept in storage.

"Is everything ready?" He asked, checking the chamber and the sights.

Barry nodded. "The food is thawed and the sedatives are in place. The girls are anxious, they've been pacing for the last twenty minutes."

"Good, we can deal with our girls so long as the others can be contained."

"Any updates on the situation?"

Owen nodded grimly. "Hamada called in on the way over here. Paddock two has been secured. There was only one body in the enclosure. Three of the raptors are unaccounted for. A quick call to control confirmed that we now have seven raptors out of containment, and all of them are heading steadily toward us." Owen shouldered the rifle and made his way to the top of the catwalk stairs.

"Merde." The darker man rubbed the top of his head and turned back to the enclosure. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Of course not." But it had to. Both trainers knew it and Owen was confident that it was the best option. He looked into the enclosure, his beta watched him curiously. Her attention shifting between the two men above her. Owen let out a deep sigh. "Alright, let's get our girls packed up, we don't have a lot of time. Go down and open the chutes, I'll get them led in."

Barry nodded. "Just don't rush them Owen. They're nervous as it is." Owen gave the darker man a flat look and Barry just patted him on the shoulder and jogged down the stairs leaving the tired man to consider his plan one last time.

The escaped animals had taken nearly two hours to travel last time. They would need to move quickly if they were going to be set up in time.

He had explained it to Katashi and Barry on the drive over, both men agreeing to the course of action.

They were going to trap the raptors in Owen's paddock. The gate controls had already been moved. If the raptors were expecting to enter and escape, they would be in for a surprise. The animals had already shown precedent for entering via the catwalk stairs and leaving through the gates without trouble or challenge, it was a fair bet to believe they would do the same when they arrived here.

Still, they needed to be ready before the raptors arrived. His girls needed to be secured and separated from the intruders. Neither trainer was willing to risk the safety of their charges, let alone the chaos of two packs vying for territory. With the additional news of the paddock two raptors joining the original escapees, Owen had no desire to let Blue or the others interact with these escaped animals.

His pack would be secured inside the squeeze chutes they had designed. It would keep them immobile, and with the inner gate closed, it would keep them separated. They may protest, but now was not the time to be soft. Once his pack was secured, Owen would lay bait throughout the enclosure. Rats laced with sedatives were already prepared, and if any of the animals ate, then they might be unconscious before A.C.U arrived to sedate the rest. Owen personally hated sedatives, it was risky, easy to overdose, and packed one hell of a punch against the animals, but it would be effective, and that is what they needed right now.

Meanwhile he and Barry would be safely secured in the paddock airlock alongside the rest of his pack.

The chute gates screamed as they slid up the concrete and Owen watched each of his girls perk up in succession. Charlie didn't even wait for the gates to finish opening before she slid through the entry way and down the chute towards the treat at the end. Owen even smiled a bit at the delighted trill she made beneath him as she pushed her snout into the steel muzzle, practically inhaling the large rat.

The other three raptors were less eager. Blue watched him, no longer curious, but interested in the change of routine. He could feel the questioning rumble on the air as the striped raptor continued to stare at him with sharp eyes and a tail the swayed slowly in building apprehension.

Owen sighed, she hated breaking routine, but it couldn't be helped tonight. Delta was just as bad. The green hued raptor was pacing, her head held high as she continuously tasted the air around her. Echo followed, her head bobbing as she chittered nervously.

"Eyes on me."

The command was firm, meant to draw their attention. It worked and Owen watched as three scaly heads turned to watch him. He smiled.

"That's good."

The bucket next to him was filled with rats, not the laced ones they were hoping to use on the escaped animals, but treats for his girls cooperation. The trainer grabbed three.

"Blue. You're first." He tossed the rat into the enclosure and watched it land in a puff of dust near the open chute. The beta raptor turned from him and trotted over to the treat he had just thrown. Giving a loud whiff, she inspected the treat before grabbing it gingerly in her mouth. The raptor looked back at him, swallowing the tidbit of meat whole and stepping back from the chute entrance.

She locked eyes with the trainer again and gave him a chuffing growl. Owen dropped his head, letting it hang from his shoulders as he gave a large sigh.

"Fine, Blue! We'll come back to you when you are willing to cooperate. Delta, Echo. You're up!" He tossed two more rats toward the chute. He was usually more patient than this, but they were on a tight schedule.

Neither raptor responded to the treats. Delta remained focused on him, her nostrils flaring in large snorts and a low hiss coming from the depths of her chest. Echo stood behind her, her eyes focused onto the green raptor and her tail twitching as she continued to nervously chitter.

"Owen!" Barry hissed from barred cage beneath him.

"Yeah I know. They're nervous. They know something is coming. Look, I can go a little slower, but we can't wait all night." The trainer responded before rolling his eyes as he heard his partner's heavy footsteps coming up the stairs behind him. Barry was right of course, he was even using Owen's own words, but they needed to be quick right now.

"No, Owen! Behind you!" Barry's alarmed shout came from below.

Owen was moving before his friend's words had fully processed. Everything clicked together in his mind as he threw himself blindly to his left. The foot falls, Barry's voice, his girl's unresponsiveness. He didn't even need to look behind him to know what was happening.

The raptors had arrived ahead of schedule.

The aggravated shriek of a predator being deprived of her prey was enough to confirm his fears. Instead of looking back, the man sprinted down the paddock catwalk, the large rifle strap sliding from his shoulder and coming to rest in the man's pumping arms. He rushed to put distance between himself and the attacking animal. Owen barely slowed as the bolted around the paddock's first corner and he felt the sting of his right hand colliding with the steel handrail.

The raptor behind him shrieked in surprise when it didn't make the corner as neatly as the trainer, slamming into the outer handrail and causing the entire catwalk system to shudder under the animal's impact.

Owen didn't stop or slow. He barreled around the next corner, continuing to sprint toward the farthest section of the paddock.

He could hear Blue beneath him. He body pushing through the foliage inside the enclosure as she matched his speed. She was barking at him, her vocalizations shifting to concerned whines as they continued around the perimeter of the paddock.

The Velociraptor was still behind him. He could hear her hisses as she gave chase, and he could feel her heavy footfalls reverberating through the grated flooring. His head was pounding, telling him to run, to keep moving, to flee in order to survive.

He agreed fully with the thought.

Then he saw the second Velociraptor. Just as he rounded another corner, one that marked the turn back towards the paddock stairs, the second predator made itself known as it rushed towards him in a primal pincer maneuver.

He only had one option, without slowing, the trainer grabbed the safety railing with one hand, gripping the rifle securely in the other. With a heavy grunt, he launched himself over the railing and into the enclosure, calling a warning to the raptor running beneath him.

Owen was not a gymnast and he certainly wasn't comfortable with doing dangerous stunts like jumping full sprint into a fifteen feet enclosure. But he was less comfortable with getting eaten by dinosaurs. He braced himself for the impact, hoping that his combat roll was still ingrained so many years after basic.

As his feet hit the ground, he felt himself naturally pitch forward and tuck his head and shoulder into a roll. He also heard a light pop and felt his ankle slide uncomfortably.

Then he was done, kneeling on one leg, his rifle already up and seated into his armpit. Blue slid to a stop beside him as Owen shakily stood, swinging his rifle around to find his pursuers. The blue-grey raptor whined, her head snaking around to look for the intruders into the pack territory.

Both raptors stood on the catwalk above them.

The large rifle immediately centered onto the raptor that had chased him.

"Barry! Open the gate!" He called out without looking back.

Slowly, Owen began retreat from the raptors above him, never taking his sights from the first one. His right ankle protested, but he held it firm, unwilling to show a weakness. He recognized her. She had been the one to challenge him on the trail. Her bruises were clearly visible in the fluorescent light. Their yellow and blue discolorations shining brightly in artificial light.

Blue remained at his side, chittering madly as the two slowly backed through the enclosure. She was beyond agitated and that was not something he was comfortable with at the moment. His eyes shifted quickly to the raptor beside him before jumping back to the threats in front of him.

"Easy girl. It's alright. I'm right beside you." Owen spoke softly as they moved. His finger brushed the trigger of the rifle nervously before he planted it firmly on the barrel, off the trigger, but near enough to it. He would shoot them if he had to, but there were only two visible right now. He couldn't risk jumping the gun.

Blue chittered back, never taking her eyes off the raptors stood above them.

"It's alright, they're not going to hurt us, and they're not going to take the paddock."

A dangerous hiss erupted behind him and he jumped, turning his head toward the new threat. It was Delta. Her gaze was locked on the raptors above. Without acknowledging him, she fell into line on Owen's left matching he groups backward pace as he head swung dangerously, swiveling at all angles as she looked for more threats.

Owen glanced right to see Echo taking place on Blue's right mimicking Delta with her own hiss.

Charlie was secured and the rest of the pack was with him. He felt himself give a faint smile. The whole pack continued to back away from the intruders. All of his girls were agitated, jumping between hisses and chittering, but they were following his lead. A fact that he eternally grateful for.

Two heavy thuds brought Owen's attention forward again as the two raptors landed inside the paddock, stepping confidently towards the trainer and his pack. The sights on Owen's rifle re-centered themselves on the same raptor. She was leading the other one by a few steps, less afraid of the trainer. If Owen had to guess, she was the leader. Maybe not the alpha, but the leader of this group.

The ruddy colored raptor paused, glaring at Owen with her gleaming, predatory eyes. Once she knew she had his attention, she pulled her neck back and gave three sharp barks.

Delta's hiss erupted into a deep growl and he even felt the green raptor step back and lower herself defensively. The base of her tail brushed against his hip but she didn't pull away. Echo was only a fraction behind her sister, moving similarly on his right, her rump pressing into Blue's side. There were other raptors on the catwalks.

"Owen, we've got more company!" It was a fact proven by the raptor's behavior and reinforced by Barry's words several meters behind him.

"Give me some numbers Barry!" Owen called back, refusing to break eye contact with the alpha raptor.

"You have two on your left and two on the right catwalk."

"Great, but we're still missing one. Look above you, is there anything behind us, on the catwalk above the cage?"

"No."

Owen took another step back, keeping his eyes and rifle trained on the alpha inside the paddock. "Great, we're still missing one though. Listen, we're going to back up into the cage, I need you to close the gate as soon as we're all inside."

He assumed the man nodded, when he didn't hear a reply.

The pack around him was a mess of trouble waiting to happen. "Easy girls. Stay by me. We're going to keep moving and everything will be alright."

Blue was glued to his side, her hind legs firmly pressed against his right hip as she kept herself low and ready to spring forward if necessary. He felt Delta pull away from his side, her growl broken up by the occasional snap of her jaws.

"Delta."

His tone was firm, but he never even glanced at her. The green raptor responded by pushing back into his side.

This was good.

They were making progress.

Cautiously, they moved backward until they were just in front of opened gate.

"Where are they, Barry?"

"The man's voice responded directly behind him. "They're following you in, but the other four raptors are still in the catwalks on either side."

Owen nodded, stopping at the edge of the cage. They needed to goad the rest of the pack into the paddock. Now that they had stopped, his girls were fidgeting and shifting endlessly. They were on a very edge of violence. An attack would draw the rest of the escaped pack in, but it would be too high a risk. His job was to care for his girls, not send them into battle.

The trainer hazarded a glance right. Looking for the two watching them from Echo's side.

The action was enough to elicit a response. Delta let out a shrieking bark that resolved into another growl. Both raptors on his left had just jumped in with the grace of a predator cornering its prey. Blue's heavy growl brought his eyes back forward as the alpha and her partner covered more ground before stopping just shy of striking range.

Four were inside the paddock now, he just needed to get the other two in. At this distance though, there was no way he could risk opening a blind spot again. The intruders would be on his pack in an instant. He wasn't coming up with any other ideas. His head still hurt from this morning, adrenaline was dulling it, but the dull throb was still there. He tested his ankle. It still felt loose. He would need to be fast, but he couldn't rely on himself to be fast enough.

But he could rely on a predator's instinct.

"Blue, Delta, Echo." None of them looked at him, but each raptor chittered anxiously and he could feel them press against him a little harder. He had their attention. "Step back." It wasn't a command they had ever done before, but Owen punctuated it with his own step backwards, across the threshold of the gate.

His girls followed.

"Step back." He shifted backward, his right foot taking a half step. The raptors stepped further into the cage.

Good.

"Barry be ready to hit the emergency switch. I want this gate to close fast. On my mark"

Owen adjusted his rifle against his shoulder, resting his entire hand off of the trigger mechanism.

"Step back."

His girls were now a couple steps behind him while he had yet to move from the gate threshold. Their growls and grumbles were louder now that they were behind him.

"Step back."

Owen took a step and let himself stumble backwards when he put his full weight on his injured ankle.

A chorus of shrieks echoed through the paddock and he knew the intruders were lunging toward him.

A loud claxon rang out from the cage itself and he saw the gate slam shut in front of him sending a cloud of dust throughout the paddock and the closed airlock. His eyes watered from the airborne debris and he let out a couple retching coughs as the trainer rolled onto his knees.

Through the dust, he could just make out the snout of a pissed off raptor as it slammed into the other side of the gate with a shudder. It snarled and grabbed at him, trying to snap between the steel bars with razor teeth.

Barry's arm appeared on his left and he grabbed it gratefully, letting his partner help pull him back onto his feet. His ankle protested as he got back to his feet. He favored it slightly, choosing to ignore the discomfort and dust himself off. When he looked up, Barry had a bright smile on his face and the moment the two made eye contact, they both broke down into laughter.

The tension of the last few minutes evaporated and even his raptors seemed to loosen up just a hair. Delta was maintaining a constant hiss, but she had raised slightly, choosing to eye the pair of humans as she continued to watch the gate.

"That was too close Owen. Even for you." Barry said through relieved chuckles.

"Yeah? Well maybe I'll let you be the runner next time, I'll be the gatekeeper."

"In your dreams 'alpha'; besides, I'm sure your fat head makes for a much more tempting bait."

"Yeah, well, your face is dumb."

They continued to laugh as the dust settled, revealing six angry Velociraptors standing on the other side of the gate. The Alpha's snout was pressed firmly between the bars. Her lips pulled back in a dangerous sneer, as she hissed at the pack.

Delta hissed back, snapping her jaws rhythmically.

The ruddy colored alpha raptor watched them for nearly a minute, her jaw snapping in frustration as the pack remained out of reach. Finally, she pulled back, swinging her head around to chitter at the raptors behind her.

Blue and the others perked up before lowering themselves further, their tails counterbalancing as they readied themselves for an attack. Even Charlie snorted, shaking her head against the tight muzzle. Owen could hear the chute shaking as the green striped raptor tried to pull out of it.

"Easy girls. They can't get us here."

Barry moved to the side wall nervously and with good reason. The intruders may not be in the cage, but both men were still sharing the airlock with three anxious predators. Owen casually set his hand against Blue's back, feeling her muscles twitch and tense as the intruding alpha began to pace along the length of the gate.

The bruised and angry raptor stopped at one side, glaring at Owen with a predatory sneer as her lips pulled back to show her teeth once more. She rumbled deeply as she stuck her forearm confidently through the bars toward the controls.

She fell short by a good foot.

The Velociraptor boke eye contact with the trainer and stared at the control panel. Her forearm reached and grasped, trying to push the extra distance through the bars. She let out an earsplitting shriek, pulling away suddenly and stepping back from the gate with alarm.

She turned to her pack and rumbled at them, giving low barking commands. The five pack members immediately spread out and began scouring the paddock walls.

Owen watched, keeping one hand on Blue, the other gripping his rifle tightly. "Barry, the chutes are closed right?" He asked, turning to his friend.

Barry nodded. Owen turned back to the intruders in his paddock and pulled his radio out. "Alpha Team, do you copy?"

"We copy Owen."

"We have successfully contained six Velociraptors at Research Paddock one. Be advised, one more still unaccounted for."

"Copy that. Any casualties?"

"Negative, but Barry and I are stuck in the cage with our girls until you arrive.

"Roger that. Just sit tight, we'll handle the oddball. We're already on the way."

"Alright, just don't take too long. The kids are getting antsy."

"We'll be there in five."

Owen smiled, putting the radio back on his belt. The intruding raptors were scrambling to find an exit, he watched as a couple rushed along the paddock border. While another one attempted to reach the catwalk rails by jumping, only to land heavily with shrieks of frustration.

Finally the alpha raptor stepped back up to the gate, eyeing the group with a cocked head. Her lips were still pulled back and she nosed the bars a few times, causing the raptors around him to flinch and hiss.

Owen smiled grimly. They had her and her pack secured, there was no way out, and she would just have to deal with it. The plan had worked. Not like he had expected it to, but he and Barry had adapted, his girls had listened, the intruders had jumped right in, and A.C.U would handle the straggler. Everything had finally worked out.

Which was why he was so surprised when the alpha raptor sidled up to the gate once more, chittering and holding a more casual stance. The rest of her pack was behind her, having given up on finding an escape. Another raptor joined the ruddy colored one alongside the gate, chittering as well.

Her beta if he had to guess.

He flinched when Blue suddenly chuffed beside him. The blue striped raptor had taken a step forward and chuffed at the intruders, her head held high as she punctuated herself with a heavy snort.

Delta perked up, abandoning her threatening posture as she growled at the intruders. Without any forewarning, the large green raptor lunged past Owen, snapping at the gates bars with another hiss.

The Alpha didn't flinch, but continued to chitter and bark softly. Her head bobbed occasionally as she eyed the other raptors, but her lips revealed another dangerous sneer, each time she glanced in the human's direction.

When Echo stepped forward giving a few nervous chitters but otherwise offering no defensive display, Owen suddenly felt a hair less comfortable with his situation. It was obvious that they were communicating. But until Echo, his pack was standing firmly against the intruders. Even Charlie could be hear snorting and shuffling from the chute on his right.

But now, he watched Delta eye the rust colored raptor as she chittered to her sister. Her head cocked curiously, still watching the intruders, but paying more attention to her sister.

"Delta, easy."

She whined at him briefly but continued to chitter and bark at her sister and the alpha intruder. Owen was not comfortable with the brief glances both raptors were shooting in his direction.

Blue whined, pressing into him further.

His hand shot out when both raptors turned to him.

"Stand Down!"

Echo remained still, watching him uncertainly. Delta whined again, the high pitch shifting into a hiss as her feet pivoted.

Owen grabbed his rifle and brought the stock to his shoulder, keeping the barrel aimed down.

"Delta, stand down!" Echo shifted, "I see you Echo. Stand down!"

The intruders hissed and chittered back at him.

"Owen?" Barry's voice questioned nervously from behind.

"I've had enough of your shit." He raised the rifle and looked down his sights.

More chitters, barks, and even a snarl came from the pack of intruders before him. Echo turned to face the trainer and Delta lowered herself.

"Delta, Echo. Don't do this."

More hisses and chitters from the alpha. Delta let out a growl.

Owen's finger pulled firmly on the trigger.

His rifle erupted with a loud bang, the stock pushing firmly into his shoulder as his trigger hand immediately rushed to the bolt, yanking it back and expelling the used casing.

His raptors flinched at the noise and the pressure in the enclosed space. Echo shrieked, but both she and Delta stood still.

The intruders jumped at the sudden noise, Chitters and hissing shrieks erupting through the pack as each animal startled from the gunfire. Each raptor except the Alpha. She didn't move. Her predator sneer complemented the fierce glare she had fixed on Owen. She didn't growl or vocalize.

Instead, she slumped to the ground. Blood pooled out of the new head wound and the sharpness in her eyes faded as her jaw hit the ground, relaxing into a dead gape.

Delta took a hesitant step towards the fallen intruder, snorting heavily at the scent of blood. Echo retreated next to Blue, her eyes returning to the intruders, but he could see the rusty raptor sneaking glances in his direction.

The other raptors held still for a moment more before retreating into his paddock's foliage. The Beta fixed a glare on him, snorting in frustration, her eyes gleaming with contempt. But she too retreated to the concealing greenery after sniffing and nosing against her fallen pack mate.

Owen exhaled, releasing a breath he had unconsciously held. Blue pulled away from his hip, stepping cautiously forward to sniff the dead raptor lying just outside the gate. She inspected the dead intruder before turning her head to him and giving a short bark.

Owen however, stepped back and took a spot against the wall next to Barry, letting the rifle slip from his hand and lean lightly on the wall.


	24. Investments

 

Her rough hide was cold to the touch and offered no comfort to the handler as he brushed his hand across the top of her snout. The bruising was even more apparent now than it had been the first time he had noticed it. She was unique from them, but she had a number of qualities that reminded him of his own girls. His pack.

The ruddy coloring of her hide had paled after her time in the freezer, but it was still easy for him to identify this raptor from the others they had lost. Her coloring was similar to Echo's but her markings were unique, the faded brown and rust blotches and random stripes giving her a more cryptic camouflage. Had the two alphas met in a different setting, there was a good chance he would have never seen her before she made her move.

All told, they had lost seven Velociraptors. The Alpha had been killed by him, her body now resting on the table before him in Dr. Kirby's lab, awaiting the necropsy he had requested. Another one had been killed by the escaped pack before they had left research paddock two with their new recruits. Three feathered raptors had died when the pack had entered paddock three. These had been the three he had seen personally. One feathered raptor was still out of containment, but it had slipped safely into the research zone. Control was monitoring it, but one predator without its own pack wasn't likely to survive alone for long.

The last two deceased animals had been casualties of the sedatives used to contain the Velociraptors. When A.C.U. had arrived, they had quickly sedated the raptors trapped in Owen's paddock. There had been a minor scare and one of the raptors had received a double dose of injectable anesthetics. The other one had a bad reaction to her ingestible sedative passing away in her chemical induced sleep while being transported.

That left three surviving raptors outside of Owen's pack. Two were safely contained and the smaller, feathered raptor was tucked away in a remote part of the island's restricted research area, well away from paddocks and the general public. Still with everything that had happened, Owen felt a pang of sadness for the situation. Now that he and the others were safe, he could afford to pity the Alpha as she lay cold on the medical table.

"Quit touching her! Or at least put some gloves on if you want to help." Dr. Kirby's voice echoed as the door behind Owen opened suddenly. "I swear, I'll hose you down with Lye if I find she died of something contagious. I don't care how nicely you're dressed, I'm not letting you infect the rest of my animals."

"She died of a gunshot."

Dr. Kirby rushed about the clinic, pulling tools and items out. "Well I don't know that, one of my interns prepped her. I haven't even examined her yet."

Owen just rolled his eyes and stepped back from the table.

The red headed vet stopped and jerked her head around to stare at him. "I'm flattered that you would take the time to dress up for me, but this is a necropsy things are going to get messy."

"Sorry, this isn't for you, I have a mandatory meeting in twenty minutes, I just wanted to drop by to see if you needed anything."

Dr. Kirby smiled and then proceeded to shoo the formally dressed handler out the door. "Get out of here Owen, I've got things covered. If I need you, I'll come find you. If a meeting got you this dressed up, then it must be important. Go, focus on that, I'll update you when I have something."

"Thank Dr. Ki-"

The clinic door shut in his face, leaving him alone in the vet clinic hallway.

xxxxxxxxxx

Twenty minutes later Owen was adjusting the collar of his suit for the seventh time as he waited outside the large conference room adjacent to Claire's office. It was the same suit that he had worn for the damned banquet, and it was only slightly more bearable because he was in an air conditioned area.

After meeting Claire's newest assistant, Ms. Young if he was remembering correctly, she had informed him that the group had been meeting since nine that morning. It was now a half past two in the afternoon. This meeting was obviously a serious one to go on as long as it had and for Claire to require formal attire.

They had only argued for thirty minutes on what 'formal' meant.

So now the trainer sat, leaning comfortably against the outside wall of the conference room. He had arrived ten minutes early at one fifty. His punctuality was now being rewarded as he had yet to be called in.

Three more nervous shirt adjustments later and the large mahogany doors finally opened next to him. The hushed voices from inside went quiet as the large doors swung smoothly outward. Claire stepped out, scanning the room until her eyes found him.

"We're ready for you Mr. Grady."

Owen just nodded and stood, grabbing his suit jacket and folding it over his arm.

As he walked by, Claire leaned her head towards him and whispered "Thank you for coming. This shouldn't take too much longer, just follow my lead."

The door closed behind him and he saw Dr. Wu motioning the trainer to take a seat between Vic and himself. As he took his seat, Claire took her place back at the head of the long table, choosing to stand behind her chair rather than sit.

Her voice carried across the room and drew the attention of everyone towards her. "I would like to introduce and welcome Mr. Owen Grady into this meeting. He is the primary handler of Research Paddock One and the man who helped recover the assets that escaped Paddocks Two and Four. I've requested his presence here today to help alleviate any worries that you may have regarding the future of this project." There was silence and all eyes turned to Owen who coughed lightly and gave Claire a pleading look. Claire gave him a short nod before continuing. "Please ask any questions you may have while he is here. He still has a job to do and I will not keep him here longer than necessary."

"Mr. Grady." Owen's eyes snapped to the voice from across the table. A woman with graying hair stared at him with sharp eyes as she continued to speak. "Before we begin, I would like to clarify some things with you for the sake of everyone here."

"Okay."

"Good, now can you tell me what your position is and what your responsibilities are?"

The handler paused. He hadn't thought about all of that since he had been hired, there was just too much to do, all of it necessary within his vague job description. "I am the primary handler and keeper of Velociraptors 013, 014, 015, and 016, named Charlie, Delta, Echo, and Blue respectively." He paused and watched as the business people around him copied his words into their respective notebooks and laptops. "I am responsible for the primary care, handling, and training of the Velociraptor pack with Research Paddock One."

"Does that include feeding, cleaning, and veterinary work?"

"Veterinary work is handled by the vets in the carnivore ward, led by Dr. Kirby. Cleaning and feeding on the other hand are included in my responsibility, though Barry's job description specifically states those responsibilities, mine does not, they simply fall under 'primary care'."

The business woman didn't look up but she did respond. "And who is Barry?"

Claire spoke up. "Barry Sy is the Paddock Supervisor. He works alongside Owen with the assets and primarily handles the enclosure maintenance, cleaning, and food schedules."

The business lady just nodded, jotting down more notes before looking back up to Owen. "What are your qualifications for this position Mr. Grady?"

"I have been working with and training birds of prey since I was a child. I have also assisted in training dogs, initially with my mother and more recently with the United States Navy."

"In your opinion, what was this project's end goal?"

Owen paused, eyeing the people before him. "We are trying to determine whether or not Velociraptors are trainable."

"Would you consider the project a success?"

"I think we've made progress, sure, but it's too early to draw conclusions. Hell, the raptors may be fully grown, but they're only just exiting adolescence mentally." More sounds of pen running across paper and keys clicking away.

Sure, he had made plenty of progress, but training took time and continual effort. His girls were responding wonderfully now, but Owen wasn't sure it was ingrained into them yet. Some of the training, maybe, but it would likely take several more years before his girls would respond to commands out of habit not in the interest of reward.

"Mr. Grady." Owen refocused on the familiar voice. He remembered it from two days ago at the paddock. It had only been two days. That stray thought made him feel tired.

"Yes?"

"My name is Oliver Fields, I was with you at the paddock the other day." Owen nodded remembering the lanky, balding businessman. "When we spoke then, you expressed a deep concern for the danger imposed on displaying these animals. I wasn't entirely convinced at the time, but after the events that have unfolded, I think I understand. In light of these events alongside your experience, has your opinion changed?"

Had it? Not really, if anything, he was more aware of the dangers and risks. He was also more confident that he would eventually at the hands of one of these creatures. Not that it would ever stop him. He glanced up to where Claire stood at the end of the table. Her read hair stuck out against the beige wall behind her. She was shaking her head. It was just barely visible, and when he locked eyes with her, she mouthed one word. _Don't_.

She didn't want him to tell them. Owen turned to look back at the gathering of people. He could see the dead animals, the trainer that had been mauled, his head still ached from the wreck. And Claire wanted him to lie?

"No, I believe Velociraptors are trainable, like most animals, but I still believe they would be far too dangerous for public display. Unlike the T-Rex or the Baryonyx, they only respond to their own, they're pack animals. I've been lucky so far with my pack, but I couldn't guarantee that luck wouldn't run out. The risks are simply too high."

Claire's hand raised to her forehead and her eyes squinted shut as the room jotted down his words. The Operations Manager was quick to recover though and hid her disappointment with a brush of her hair.

"Thank you Mr. Grady, that's all I needed to know." The man responded, jotting down a couple words on his notepad.

"Mr. Grady." The woman addressed him again. "We are here today to discuss the future of this Velociraptor project. Every person in this room represents the corporations that have sustained this operation. IN light of the recent series of events, a large portion of the project had been destroyed or rendered unreliable in the study. It is now our job to discuss this project and determine if it is worth pursuing further."

"Mrs. Jennings, if I may be so bold, there is nothing left to discuss." The new voice belonged to a younger man that held himself tall like the perfect business person. Every fiber of his suit in place and every hair on his head combed perfectly. His German accent echoed lightly through the room, commanding attention.

"Mr. Rainier, do not be so hasty. Our respective companies have invested a great deal into this project. Simply abandoning ship would mean a loss for all of our interests." Claire interjected firmly.

"I'm not being hasty Ms. Dearing, I just don't want to put more money into a ship that's already sinking. Seven Velociraptors are dead and the handler of the four not responsible for killing people is not comfortable with the idea of displaying them publicly. There is no way this project will succeed at this point."

"Just because they aren't ready now-"

"Our expert made some very important points in the conference call not even an hour ago. Are we going to just discount them now?"

"Dr. Grant may be an expert in his field, but may I remind you that his experiences over the last twenty years have made him incredibly biased against this project already. His advice on anything other than scientific evidence should be taken with that understanding."

"Very well, but your own expert," Mr. Rainier gestured to Owen "has made almost identical observations, both here in this room and in his reports. Ms. Dearing, AMG and Mercedes will be happy to work with you on other, more promising projects, but I cannot see this one having a positive outcome."

"We appreciate that, but if we abandon this project, it will put the park behind schedule. We will likely see even further market drops until we can get another project up to speed."

"We understand, it is the nature of research and Development Ms. Dearing. Unfortunately, our decision has been made. You will have our support, just no longer on this project." The Blonde haired man stood and made to leave, pausing with his hand on the door. "Shut this project down Ms. Dearing, it will be better for your profit margins if you simply cast this aside and move on. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my office."

His mind spoke, the man strode confidently out the door.

Owen watched man leave. He adjusted his collar once more absently running the man's words through his head. Most of this was just over his head, but the man made a point. The trainer certainly didn't want the project to be shut down, but glancing back over the table, it was pretty apparent that his opinion was not shared by the remainder of the table. He glanced nervously back to Claire. "What happens if this project gets shut down?" He asked.

"Jurassic World wil be responsible for the safe removal and disposal of the project assets." Mr. Fields responded evenly.

"Wait, you'll just kill them off?" His eyes locked onto Claire. She didn't meet his gaze. "Well."

"The herbivores are usually released into the research zone. They provide a good source of continued research with little to no cost on our end. A few of the less dangerous carnivorous assets are occasionally released as well, but most are euthanized."

He had known the answer, Dr. Wu had gone over it with him some time ago, what felt like a lifetime ago. He only needed her to confirm it. The trainer felt his own fists clenching under the table as he ground his teeth a bit. These were living things dammit! They deserved better.

Mr. Fields reached across the conference table comfortingly. "I assure you Mr. Grady, the assets are disposed of in the most humane method available."

Bull Shit.

"I am sorry that this upsets you, but you must understand that we cannot continue keeping assets that we cannot control or contain, it's a waste of resources." Owen barely heard the balding man through his grinding teeth. They were going to kill his pack simply because they couldn't be publicly displayed. His fists clenched tighter, he felt the blood in each palm retreat from the pressure.

When he finally moved, it was explosive.

SLAM!

A heavy impact rocked the room and echoed off the walls. His fists burned painfully from impacting the solid table. He felt his eyes tear a bit, but he had their attention. All of them.

"Damn it! These are living creatures not some resource you can toss away on a whim because they don't make enough money!"

"Mr. Grady!" Claire's voice was shrill and commanding as she stalked towards him, leaving her position from the table head.

"No! Shut the hell up Claire!" That froze her. Owen took a breath and continued, still feeling the stinging in his fists. "I am not about to let 'assets' get thrown away just because you assholes can't see the value of a living creature!" Claire was on the move again. "I am not against putting an animal down, or even hunting it. But you cannot just kill it out of convenience to your agenda!"

The Operations Manager grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him roughly out of the room. "One moment please." She said curtly before the impressive doors closed smoothly behind her. She was pissed, but Owen expected that. He was pissed too, just for very different reasons.

He hadn't expected the slap. The hand print she left stung sharply against his face, but she didn't let him think about it. "Get a hold of yourself Grady! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Her tone was hushed but strained as she hissed out each word.

"I'm trying to save my girls lives. No thanks to you." He paused. "Shit, that really hurt."

"Good. Maybe you'll listen this time. I am on your side Owen, I know we don't see eye to eye, but the last thing I want is to see this project scrapped."

Owen adopted a slightly challenging tone, his hands making air quotes. "I thought this project wouldn't be big enough to turn around park sales."

"It won't but it wouldn't be alone, besides that's not why I want this project to continue."

"Well? If money isn't the issue, then what?"

Claire sighed. "I went back and read through your reports. I cannot stand your writing style, or your syntax; however, based on your reports alone, you are probably one of the most dedicated trainers on this island. The last thing I want to see is all that work go to waste."

Owen's scowl faded, replaced by a thin, lopsided grin.

Claire just raised her palm to him. "No, don't get me wrong. You're still and unbearable asshole Mr. Grady, I simply respect your work ethic. But antagonizing the very people who pay your bills is not the way to change their mind."

Owen folded his arms, his smile fading to a grimace. This woman. "Then what are we going to do about it, Ms. Dearing?"

"We aren't going to do anything. I am going to buy time, you are just going to follow my lead like I said when we walked in."

Before he could respond, the red headed businesswoman grabbed the door and stepped back inside. Owen followed a moment later, taking his seat between Wu and Vic once more. When everyone as seated, he cleared his throat and apologized for his outburst.

Mr. Fields responded without looking at him, his eyes focused on the paper before him. "It's quite alright, we can tell that you are quite attached to your animals."

"That's right." Claire interjected. "Mr. Grady raised his raptors from hatching. He has already proven that with careful management and dedication, these animals can be trained. We reviewed the security footage earlier. They listen to him."

The remaining investors and representatives nodded their heads slightly and recorded more notes.

"If that is the case Ms. Dearing, then our project is already complete." Henry Wu interjected from beside Owen. The scientist sat comfortably in his chair. "IF the project is complete, then perhaps it is time to move onto bigger and better things, devote our resources where the outcomes are more assured."

The lead geneticist paused, ignoring the gaping stare he received from the handler beside him. He watched Claire however, her brow furrowing and her face tightening.

"Dr. Wu. This is your project as well, you know as well as I that it is nowhere near completion. Why would you want to move on now?"

"If we have proven that Velociraptors can be trained, but none are safe enough for display, then the project is completed. We lost too many samples over the last few days to continue research with the current goals in mind. Any results would be more skewed than they already are. I am simply suggesting that we devote our resources elsewhere, not because the project was a failure, but rather, because we succeeded. Let's use what we've learned to create something even better."

Dr. Wu had just thrown them under the bus in the politest way. The geneticist had been quiet up until this point, but now. Now, he would have preferred the man to stay quiet longer.

"I disagree doctor." Now Vic was speaking up.

"I beg your pardon?" Mrs. Jennings asked, looking up from her notebook, her glasses resting on the tip of her nose.

"All I'm saying is that it would be a complete waste of resources to simply abandon this project." The larger man paused to gather his thoughts. "Look, we all watched the footage earlier. Mr. Grady has a military background, but he is no tactician, I have a squad of men who will back me up on that fact." Owen coughed lightly at that. "That's not the point I'm trying to make here. He successfully did something that I honestly never believed possible. He took genetically engineered dinosaurs, apex predators, and he trained them. Not only that, he led them successfully in a combat scenario."

"Vic…" Dr. Wu's voice was low and he drew out the word in a warning.

"No, Henry, hear me out. I know we have bigger fish to fry here. What I don't understand is why we would pass up this golden opportunity. We could seriously train these things for military use."

Owen heard several snorts join in his own. Vic Hoskins ignored them and continued. "We have successfully domesticated the dog, we use it effectively in a variety of military applications. Hell, Mr. Grady has been training birds of prey since he was a kid. Is it too hard to see the possibility of training these animals for similar purposes? We could even skip the millennia of domestication with InGen's labs."

"As novel as your idea is Mr. Hoskins, I think I can confidently say that the companies I represent and the corporations my colleagues represent have no interest in military application or research. People want entertainment, they are tired of war.

A murmur followed with most of the rooms nodding their heads.

"I understand, I'm not asking you to support it, I'm merely suggesting we don't act too rashly and make a decision we might regret down the road."

"Very well stated Mr. Hoskins." Claire responded before addressing the whole group. "Regardless of the outcome, this is not a decision that should be made today, or even hastily at all. I propose that we simply suspend the project until a decision is made. In the meantime, Vic would you gather your men and begin careful inspections of each paddock. I would like to ensure this problem never happens again. You are welcome to make any upgrades or changes you deem necessary." Vic nodded, sitting back comfortably in the executive chair.

"Mr. Grady, we cannot begin to thank you for the effort you made in securing the escaped raptors and keeping your own assets secured in the process. During the renovations, I would like you and Mr. Sy to head home for some paid time off. You've earned it at this point."

Owen shook his head. "Sorry Claire, you know I can't leave the raptors."

"This is not up for discussion Mr. Grady. We need to be sure that your pack can be contained and cared for without your presence. It will only be a couple of weeks while upgrades are being done. You can prepare any detailed instructions you would like and I will personally ensure that things get handled properly. In the meantime, we can continue to discuss the project's future. If everything goes well and your animals behave themselves, then perhaps our investors would feel more comfortable funding this project further, not toward military applications, but perhaps under a new research goal. Is that acceptable for everyone?"

Owen stared at the woman before him as he noticed a number of resigned nods from the people around him. She was on his side. He didn't like the idea, but he could see where she was coming from and what she was trying to do. He only hoped the pack would forgive his absence. He finally nodded.

If it was his only choice, he would take a damned vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry about the delay on this. Work gets in the way, also I read the Martian. Read it straight through in one sitting, I only stopped to sleep. It was a problem for productivity, but a damned good problem if I do say so myself.
> 
> Anyway, this marks the end of Part 1. Amazingly everything before now was done with no beta readers or editors. I learned a lot in that time. I also gained two beta readers/editors in the process. I've waived them off in order to keep the quality smooth between chapters, but now I want to begin including them. I know this story will only get better in the process, so we are starting by re-writing and editing what I already have done. While they begin working on that, I'll keep on writing but not posting. Once they are caught up and Part 1 is improved, we will begin releasing Part 2. Hopefully this will be a steady release because I will have a building pile of chapters ready to go.
> 
> All in all, it shouldn't take more than a week or two to get caught up and begin working into Part 2. The next time a chapter is uploaded, it will mean that everything prior has been revised. Re-read it or don't, thats up to you. The story should be mostly the same, just a little more fleshed out and smoothly designed.
> 
> Thanks for all the support and comments, you guys rock!


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